Perception of teachers and students about the education of dieticians who specialize in public health

Objective This study analyzed how professors and students perceive the education of dieticians who specialize in public health. Methods This qualitative and quantitative study administered a questionnaire to undergraduate and graduate students and held a focal group with professors. The data collected by the questionnaire was descriptively analyzed and the contents of the focal group were analyzed according to the Discourse of the Collective Subject method. Results Thirty-five percent of the students mentioned some kinship with the public health field and 11% of the graduates reported working in public health. Meanwhile, the greatest barriers in public health education, according to professors, were: difficulty of finding a job in the area, the relationship between theory and practice, and the communication difficulty between teaching and health service. Conclusion These results indicate the need broadening and deepening the public health theme in undergraduate nutrition courses.