TY - JOUR
T1 - Public health nutrition workforce development in seven European countries
T2 - Constraining and enabling factors
AU - Kugelberg, Susanna
AU - Jonsdottir, Svandis
AU - Faxelid, Elisabeth
AU - Jönsson, Kristina
AU - Fox, Ann
AU - Thorsdottir, Inga
AU - Yngve, Agneta
PY - 2012/11
Y1 - 2012/11
N2 - Objectives Little is known about current public health nutrition workforce development in Europe. The present study aimed to understand constraining and enabling factors to workforce development in seven European countries. Design A qualitative study comprised of semi-structured face-to-face interviews was conducted and content analysis was used to analyse the transcribed interview data. Setting The study was carried out in Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Subjects Sixty key informants participated in the study. Results There are constraining and enabling factors for public health nutrition workforce development. The main constraining factors relate to the lack of a supportive policy environment, fragmented organizational structures and a workforce that is not cohesive enough to implement public health nutrition strategic initiatives. Enabling factors were identified as the presence of skilled and dedicated individuals who assume roles as leaders and change agents. Conclusions There is a need to strengthen coordination between policy and implementation of programmes which may operate across the national to local spectrum. Public health organizations are advised to further define aims and objectives relevant to public health nutrition. Leaders and agents of change will play important roles in fostering intersectorial partnerships, advocating for policy change, establishing professional competencies and developing education and training programmes.
AB - Objectives Little is known about current public health nutrition workforce development in Europe. The present study aimed to understand constraining and enabling factors to workforce development in seven European countries. Design A qualitative study comprised of semi-structured face-to-face interviews was conducted and content analysis was used to analyse the transcribed interview data. Setting The study was carried out in Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Subjects Sixty key informants participated in the study. Results There are constraining and enabling factors for public health nutrition workforce development. The main constraining factors relate to the lack of a supportive policy environment, fragmented organizational structures and a workforce that is not cohesive enough to implement public health nutrition strategic initiatives. Enabling factors were identified as the presence of skilled and dedicated individuals who assume roles as leaders and change agents. Conclusions There is a need to strengthen coordination between policy and implementation of programmes which may operate across the national to local spectrum. Public health organizations are advised to further define aims and objectives relevant to public health nutrition. Leaders and agents of change will play important roles in fostering intersectorial partnerships, advocating for policy change, establishing professional competencies and developing education and training programmes.
KW - Enabling and constraining factors
KW - Europe
KW - Public health nutrition
KW - Workforce development
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84867724524&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S1368980012003874
DO - 10.1017/S1368980012003874
M3 - Article
C2 - 22894796
AN - SCOPUS:84867724524
SN - 1368-9800
VL - 15
SP - 1989
EP - 1998
JO - Public Health Nutrition
JF - Public Health Nutrition
IS - 11
ER -