Table of Contents

Purpose: To describe the breastfeeding experiences of a dietitian and mother so as to expose dominant discourses reinforcing expert-driven imperatives to breastfeed.Methods: Professional experiences and personal challenges related to breastfeeding promotion are described, analyzed, and interpreted using autoethnography. The social ecological model (SEM) is used as a sensitizing concept to guide the organization, presentation, and analysis of experiences.Results: Data were organized into two discussion themes: breastfeeding promotion practices and “failure” to breastfeed. Dominant discourses reinforcing expert-driven imperatives to breastfeed are revealed, including health as a duty, intensive motherhood, and mother blame. Discourses promoting or reinforcing breastfeeding simultaneously judge and denormalize formula-feeding.Conclusions: Contemporary breastfeeding promotion messages and strategies are quiet coercions used to influence infant-feeding decisions and do not support the principles of evidence-based practice, person-centred care, and informed choice.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic condition requiring continued input from the CF dietitian as an integral part of the CF multidisciplinary team. In recent years, the longer life expectancy experienced by people with CF (PwCF) means that nutrition advice and therapy are evolving from a focus on nutrition support to prevention and management of comorbidities. Little has been reported regarding the perceived role of the CF dietitian amongst PwCF. We report the responses to 11 questions that were part of a larger international survey distributed to members of national CF charities in 2018-2019. These questions evaluated PwCFs’ perspectives on (i) the importance of the CF diet, (ii) how often PwCF obtain dietary/nutritional advice from their dietitian, (iii) the perceived reliability of information given by the dietitian, (iv) other sources of CF information and their perceived reliability, and (v) how CF nutrition/diet, as well as CF-related diabetes, ranked as research priorities. There were 295 respondents from 13 countries. Almost half of the respondents (46.8%) contacted their CF dietitian on a frequent/more regular basis, compared to medical/scientific journals/medical/scientific search engines. The CF dietitian was considered a reliable source of information, as 84% of the respondents indicated that the information provided was very/generally reliable. At a time when CF care and expectations are changing rapidly, PwCF are in need of trusted and reliable information to make positive changes in lifestyle and habits. Dietitians working with PwCF should appreciate the pivotal and valued role they perform as purveyors of robust evidence-based information to this chronic disease population.

It is not known if nutrition risk screening of older adults should be a standard practice in primary care. The evidence in support of nutrition risk screening of older adults in primary care was examined and critically analyzed using an umbrella review. The peer reviewed and grey literature were searched for clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and systematic reviews (SRs). Titles and abstracts were independently screened by the two authors. Resources were excluded if they did not apply to older adults, did not discuss nutrition/malnutrition risk screening, or were in settings other than primary care. Full texts were independently screened by both authors, resulting in the identification of six CPGs and three SRs that met the review criteria. Guidelines were appraised with the AGREE II tool and SRs with the AMSTAR 2 tool. The quality of the CPGs was high, while the quality of the SRs was low. The CPGs and SRs acknowledged a lack of high-quality research on the benefits of regular nutrition risk screening for older adults in primary care; however, CPGs recommended annual screening for older adults in primary care practices or other community settings. High-quality research investigating nutrition risk screening of older adults in primary care is needed.

Purpose: This study compared anthropometric and body fat percent (BF%) equations in relation to measures of metabolic health.Methods: BF% calculations (Bergman, Fels, and Woolcott) and anthropometric measurements were used to determine obesity among a sample of patients attending primary care in Alberta, Canada. Anthropometric variables included body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist:hip ratio, waist:height ratio, and calculated BF%. Metabolic Z-score was computed as the average of the individual Z-scores of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and fasting glucose and the number of standard deviations from the sample mean.Results: Five hundred and fourteen individuals were included (41.2% male, age: 53 ± 16y, BMI: 27.4 ± 5.7 kg/m²). BMI ≥ 30 kg/m² detected the smallest number of participants (n = 137) as having obesity, while Woolcott BF% equation categorized the largest number of participants as having obesity (n = 369). No anthropometric or BF% calculation predicted metabolic Z-score in males (all p ≥ 0.05). In females, age-adjusted waist:height ratio had the highest prediction power (R² = 0.204, p < 0.001), followed by age-adjusted waist circumference (R² = 0.200, p < 0.001) and age-adjusted BMI (R² = 0.178, p < 0.001).Conclusions: This study did not find evidence that BF% equations more strongly predicted metabolic Z-scores than other anthropometric values. In fact, all anthropometric and BF% variables were weakly related to metabolic health parameters, with apparent sex differences.

The 2023 Dietitians of Canada (DC) National Conference held on 25–26 May 2023 was our first in-person conference since June 2019 and celebrated our unity and resiliency as a profession. It was amazing! The Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research (CFDR) showcased a diverse array of experience sharing and research abstracts through oral and poster presentations, and virtual sessions. There were 23 Early Bird (EB) research abstracts, in which 10 were selected for in-person presentations during the conference, and 19 Late Breaking research abstracts which were posters. Thank you to all who submitted abstracts!Thanks to the dedication and commitment of the Abstract Review Committee members.Early Bird Abstract Review Committee: Susan Campisi (University of Toronto); Andrea Glenn (University of Toronto); Mahsa Jessri (University of British Columbia); Louise St-Denis (University of Montreal).Late Breaking Abstract Review Committee: Lesley Andrade (University of Waterloo); Carla D’Andreamatteo (Consultant, Winnipeg); Laura Forbes (University of Guelph); Billie Jane Hermosura (University of Ottawa); Christine Nash (University Health Network); Louise St-Denis (University of Montreal).Thanks to the CFDR Board, DC Conference team, digital partners, all of the moderators, and conference attendees for supporting the research presentations.Warm regards,Christina Lengyel, PhD, RDChair, 2023 EB/LB Abstract CommitteesProfessorFood and Human Nutritional SciencesUniversity of ManitobaRavi SidhuManaging DirectorDevelopment & OperationsCFDR