title: The Domains of Human Nutrition: The Importance of Nutrition Education in Academia and Medical Schools.
abstract: Human nutrition encompasses an extremely broad range of medical, social, commercial, and ethical domains and thus represents a wide, interdisciplinary scientific and cultural discipline. The high prevalence of both disease-related malnutrition and overweight/obesity represents an important risk factor for disease burden and mortality worldwide. It is the opinion of Federation of the Italian Nutrition Societies (FeSIN) that these two sides of the same coin, with their sociocultural background, are related to a low "nutritional culture" secondary, at least in part, to an insufficient academic training for health-care professionals (HCPs). Therefore, FeSIN created a study group, composed of delegates of all the federated societies and representing the different HCPs involved in human nutrition, with the aim of identifying and defining the domains of human nutrition in the attempt to more clearly define the cultural identity of human nutrition in an academically and professionally oriented perspective and to report the conclusions in a position paper. Three main domains of human nutrition, namely, basic nutrition, applied nutrition, and clinical nutrition, were identified. FeSIN has examined the areas of knowledge pertinent to human nutrition. Thirty-two items were identified, attributed to one or more of the three domains and ranked considering their diverse importance for academic training in the different domains of human nutrition. Finally, the study group proposed the attribution of the different areas of knowledge to the degree courses where training in human nutrition is deemed necessary (e.g., schools of medicine, biology, nursing, etc.). It is conceivable that, in the near future, a better integration of the professionals involved in the field of human nutrition will eventually occur based on the progressive consolidation of knowledge, competence, and skills in the different areas and domains of this discipline.
authors.affiliation: Università di Roma La Sapienza - on behalf of the Italian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (SINPE) , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Donini
authors.affiliation: Azienda Ospedale "Cannizzaro", Catania - on behalf of the Italian Federation of Nutrition Societies (FeSIN) , Catania , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.affiliation: Università di Pavia - on behalf of the Italian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (SINPE) , Pavia , Italy.
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rondanelli
authors.affiliation: ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo Presidio Ospedaliero San Carlo, Milano - on behalf of the Italian Society of Human Pediatric Nutrition (SINUPE) , Milano , Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Banderali
authors.affiliation: Università Politecnica delle Marche - on behalf of the Italian Dietetic Association (ADI) , Ancona , Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Battino
authors.affiliation: Università di Ancona - on behalf of the Italian Dietetic Association (ADI) , Ancona , Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bertoli
authors.affiliation: Università di Bologna - on behalf of the Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU) , Bologna , Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bordoni
authors.affiliation: Università di Parma - on behalf of the Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU) , Parma , Italy.
authors.forename: Furio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brighenti
authors.affiliation: Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia - on behalf of the Italian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (SINPE) , Pavia , Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caccialanza
authors.affiliation: ASL RMB, Rome - on behalf of the Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU) , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cairella
authors.affiliation: Perrino Hospital, Brindisi - on behalf of the Italian Dietetic Association (ADI) , Brindisi , Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caretto
authors.affiliation: Università di Pavia , Italy.
authors.forename: Hellas
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cena
authors.affiliation: Bambino Gesu Children Hospital, Roma - on behalf of the Italian Society of Human Pediatric Nutrition (SINUPE) , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gambarara
authors.affiliation: Niguarda Hospital, Milan - on behalf of the Italian Dietetic Association (ADI) , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Gabriella
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.affiliation: University of Milan - on behalf of the Italian Society of Human Pediatric Nutrition (SINUPE) , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giovannini
authors.affiliation: Regional General Hospital, Bolzano - on behalf of the Italian Dietetic Association (ADI) , Bolzano , Italy.
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lucchin
authors.affiliation: On behalf of the Italian Society of Food Science (SISA) , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Migliaccio
authors.affiliation: Università di Bari - on behalf of the Italian Society of Food Science (SISA) , Bari , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nicastro
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di di Napoli Federico II - on behalf of the Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU) , Napoli , Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasanisi
authors.affiliation: Università di Roma La Sapienza - on behalf of the Italian Society of Food Science (SISA) , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Piretta
authors.affiliation: AO Ospedale Civile di Legnano - on behalf of the Italian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (SINPE) , Legnano , Italy.
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Radrizzani
authors.affiliation: Università di Pavia , Italy.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roggi
authors.affiliation: Università di Roma Tor Vergata - on behalf of the Federation of Italian Nutrition Societies (FeSIN) , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rotilio
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II - on behalf of the Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU) , Napoli , Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scalfi
authors.affiliation: Università di Padova - on behalf of the Italian Society of Obesity (SIO) , Padova , Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vettor
authors.affiliation: Niguarda Hospital, Milano - on behalf of the Italian Society of Obesity (SIO) , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vignati
authors.affiliation: University of Modena and Reggio Emilia - on behalf of the Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU) , Modena , Italy.
authors.forename: Nino C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Battistini
authors.affiliation: Università di Roma La Sapienza - on behalf of the Italian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (SINPE) , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muscaritoli
keywords: academic training; applied nutrition; basic nutrition; clinical nutrition; human nutrition