JOHNSON CITY – An East Tennessee State University professor and graduate student authored an article examining how COVID-19 has changed dietary practices.
The article entitled “COVID & Nutrition: How the Pandemic Has Changed Practice” was jointly published by Dr. Michelle Johnson, Associate Professor and Director of the Diet Internship Program at ETSU’s College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences, and Julia Barroso, alumnus, is an undergraduate and dietetic intern in ETSU’s Clinical Nutrition Graduate Program. Her article appears in the September / October 2021 issue of Today’s Geriatric Medicine, a national publication that provides news and insight for elderly care professionals.
In their article, Johnson and Barroso examined the effects of COVID-19 on nutrition, particularly among adults residing in long-term care, assisted residential, and post-acute care facilities. Their study identifies and summarizes the effects of COVID-19 on nutritional practice in these environments and recognizes general trends in nutritional practice that are emerging and that would be beneficial in the future.
“I feel it is important to highlight the role of nutritionists in these facilities, who, despite incredible personal and professional stresses, continue to volunteer as clinical preceptors and demonstrate the value of developing the practice as we continue to work learn more on the effects of COVID-19, “said Johnson. “This population is particularly vulnerable to malnutrition, and registered dietitians and other nutritionists are playing an important role in identifying ways to break inevitable barriers during the pandemic this first year.”
The article looks at long-term caregiver food intake and weight loss, tips on promoting and increasing hydration, and the impact of the challenges of large food systems during the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare facilities and their budgets.
“The collaboration with Dr. Johnson on this article was a great opportunity, ”said Barroso. “I learned so much along the way and Dr. Johnson is an excellent leader at guiding my thoughts and ideas and bringing them to life. She was such an inspiring mentor and I look forward to working with her even more in the future. “
ETSU offers several undergraduate and graduate degrees in nutrition and dietetics that offer research and internship opportunities to prepare students for careers in nutrition.
Students work with community facilities and organizations like Little Bucs, Crumley House, Second Harvest Food Bank, and One Acre Café to develop healthy menus and recipes to improve nutrition. In addition, students complete 1,000 hours of supervised practice in dietetic internships in regional hospitals, long-term care facilities, schools, health authorities and other facilities.
