Public health nutrition workforce development in seven European countries: constraining and enabling factors.
OBJECTIVE
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.


METHODS
A qualitative study comprised of semi-structured face-to-face interviews was conducted and content analysis was used to analyse the transcribed interview data.


METHODS
The study was carried out in Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.


METHODS
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.
Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden. susanna.kugelberg@ki.se
Susanna
S
Kugelberg
Svandis
S
Jonsdottir
Elisabeth
E
Faxelid
Kristina
K
Jönsson
Ann
A
Fox
Inga
I
Thorsdottir
Agneta
A
Yngve
D057191:Capacity Building; D004046:Dietetics / Q000458:organization & administration; D005060:Europe; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007857:Leadership; D052756:Nutritional Sciences; D011361:Professional Competence; D011634:Public Health; D011640:Public Policy; D036301:Qualitative Research; D000078329:Workforce