OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to investigate how clinical nutrition services is provided at a long term care hospital in Korea and to investigate job satisfaction levels of the clinical dietitians. METHODS Survey questionnaire was sent to dietitians working at a long term care hospital in Korea. The participating hospitals (n=240) were randomly selected from 1,180 long- term care hospitals using a stratified sampling method. A total of 134 long term care hospital s and 223 dietitians completed the survey of clinical nutrition service s and job satisfaction questionnaires The job satisfaction questionnaire included 27 job satisfaction questions on task, stability vision, working conditions, and relationship areas. RESULTS The average nutritional screening rate was 17.9% and the rate of computerized nutritional screening system was 9.7% in the participating hospitals. Nutritional intervention rate was only 3.2% of all patients. KOIHA (Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation) accreditated hospitals showed only 50% performance rate of nutrition service evaluation area. This shows that after achieving KOIHA accredition, many hospitals do not emphasize the performance of nutritional services. The job satisfaction scores in all four areas ranged from 2/5 to 3/5, implying generally low job satisfaction level in hospital dietitians. Linear regression analysis results showed that the "hospital adequacy grade" type was a significant predictor of job satisfaction level for two areas (working conditions & relationship). CONCLUSIONS There is a need to provide proper standardized clinical nutrition services as a primary treatment and we observed large variations in the quality of nutritional service s in long term care hospitals. Therefore, government and local hospitals have to work on implementing nutritional programs and policies for improved service and care.
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The purpose of this study was to develop a standardized job description for dietitians working in the public health nutrition area. Work-oriented job analysis methodology was employed for the study purpose. Subjects of 38 dietitians currently working at health centers in 2002 were recruited. Based on the focus group interview with 7 public health nutritionists and 7 professors, information about task elements was collected. Questionnaires measuring work performance and self-perception of importance of the selected task elements were administered. Reliability and validity of this instrument were tested by Chronbach's alpha and factor analysis. SAS PC package program was used for the statistical analysis. The final developed job description for public health nutritionists included 5 duties, 20 tasks and 93 task elements. The results of this study can be summarized as follows; 1) 5 duty areas are A. plan and evaluation of public health nutrition services, B. developing nutrition education materials, C. implementing nutrition services, D. networking community, and E. self development. 2) Each duty area from A to E was composed with 6, 2, 6, 4, 2 tasks, respectively. 3) Each duty area from A to E was composed with 24, 8, 38, 14, 9, and 2 task elements, respectively.
The purpose of this study was to analyze task performance and importance level of the dietitian who is working in the public health nutrition area. Work oriented job analysis methodology was employed for the study purpose. Subjects of 38 dietitians currently working at health centers in 2002 were recruited. Based on the focus group interview with 7 public health nutritionists and 7 professors, information about task elements was collected. Questionnaires measuring work performance and self-perception of importance of the selected task elements were administered. The results of this study can be summarized as follows; 1) The tasks with high performance and importance level among 20 tasks are developing nutrition education material (B1), nutrition services for adults and the elderly (C3), writing the proposal for nutrition services (A2), evaluating service effect (A4), improving professionalism (E1), and self management (E2). 2) The task elements with high performance and importance level among weekly task elements are nutrition education for diabetes (C56), nutrition counseling for adults (C47), nutrition for hypertension (C53), managing and keeping records (C80), nutrition education for kindergarten and nursery school children (C42), searching for nutrition education materials (B26), and searching for media (B27). 3) The number of task elements with high performance and importance level among monthly task elements are 13 in the planning and evaluation of public health nutrition service, and 5 in developing nutrition education materials. The tasks of a dietitian in the public health center show a very wide spectrum. However dietitians recognize most of the tasks are important even though they cannot perform those tasks adequately.
This study was designed firstly to measure the job satisfaction (JS) levels of personnel engaged in contract foodservice management company (CFMC), secondly to compare the job satisfaction levels by personal and companyrelated characteristics, and thirdly to identify the effects of JS facets on overall job satisfaction. Of 1135 respondents, there were 712 employees in the headquarters and 423 in the branch office. From an analysis on job satisfaction, overall job satisfaction level was 3.22 out of a maximum 5 and the co-worker (3.71) facet of JS was the highest job satisfaction followed by supervision (3.32), work itself (3.26), working condition (3.15), promotion (2.95) and payroll (2.74). In comparison of job satisfaction by personal characteristics, the personnel who were male (p< .01), had associate degrees (p< .01) or long-term careers in foodservice field (p< .05), or were regular employees (p< .01) perceived significantly higher than others for overall JS. In comparison of the job satisfaction by company-related characteristics, overall JS was significant by company scale (p< .01) and by work place (p< .05), but it was not significant by operating group. Finally, on the regression analysis for the effects of JS facets on overall JS, adjusted R2 was 0.534 (p< .001) and all six JS facets, especially payroll, had a positive effect on overall JS significantly (p< .001). Considering that the goal of enterprise on profit-making through customer satisfaction (CS) and the role of personnel on CS at moment of thrust (MOT), the findings confirmed the necessity for continuous internal marketing and human relation management focusing on the lower level of JS facets.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the operation and management systems of the school food services in Korea and to provide useful data for improving the quality of the school food services. This study was conducted in school food service operations nationwide using a written questionnaire. The questionnaires were mailed to the dieticians of three types of school food service systems-conventional, commissary, and joint-management. Of the 660 schools that participated in this study, the responses from 212 conventional system, 212 commissary system and 200 joint-management system services were selected for analysis. Statistical analysis was performed utilizing the SAS/Win 6.12 program so as to provide a descriptive statistics. The main results of this study can be summarized as follows: The average number of meals served per day was 1014, 738 and 695 in the conventional food service, the commissary food service and the joint-management food service systems, respectively. Over half (58.9%) of food service facilities were utilizing computer programs for their operations. Most of the commissary food service systems (52.4%) had a satellite school and served a maximum of 2000 meals per day. In most of the joint-management food service systems (87.1%), the number of food service schools managed was two and a maximum of 3330 meals were served. Only one dietician was posted irrespective of the school food service system. The mean hours of work by the dietician per day was 8.9, 8.6 and 8.6 in the conventional food service, the commissary food service and the joint-management food service systems, respectively. The principal work functions of cook personnel were cooking and cleaning.
The purposes of this study were (1) to understand how customers trade off one attribute against another when they choose a pizza restaurant, (2) to compare the importance of individual attributes with their relative importance and (3) to compare customers' brand choice patterns with the prediction of pizza restaurant operators. Empirical data for this study were collected from the customers (n = 307) and operators (n = 273) of four famous pizza franchise restaurants in Korea, Pizza Hut, Mister Pizza, Domino's Pizza and Pizza Mall. The attributes and attribute levels for the hypothetical profiles were decided from the focus group discussion. A total of 16 profiles was selected from fractional factorial designs. The SPSS conjoint procedure was used to calculate utility scores and simulate profiles. The overall group statistics showed the relative importance of all attributes compared with one other. Taste was the most important attribute (32.48%) in choosing a pizza restaurant, followed by service (21.87%), atmosphere (17.23%), price (15.17%) and speed of delivery (13.26%). There was a difference between the customers' ratings of the importance of the individual attributes and the ranking of the same attributes' relative importance as derived from the conjoint analysis. The operators rated service (26.54%) as also being important, as well as taste (27.76%), in choosing a pizza restaurant. The rankings of relative importance for pizza taste, service and price were statistically different in the customers' and operators' data (p < .001, p < .01, p < .05). Operators who want to differentiate themselves from their competitors should make decisions based on an increased understanding of their customers' brand choice decision process and measure the hidden needs of their customers.
The job characteristics and competencies of 285 dietitians in employee foodservices were investigated by worker-oriented job analysis methodology. The purposes of this study were to : a) determine the knowledge, abilities, skills and other characteristics(KASO) needed for dietitians in two types of employee foodservice groups(self-operated vs. contracted), b) categorize KASO items by factor analysis and c) provide job information and job descriptions for dietitians in employee foodservices. The job analysis questionnaire was consisted of questions concerning the 134 KASO items. The questionnaire was mailed to 250 dietitians who are members of The Korean Dietetic Association Practice Group in self-operated foodservices(group A) and 250 dietitians who are employed in contracted foodservice companies(group B). Completed were received from 285 dietitians(121 in self-operated, 164 in contracted) ; with response rate of 57%. Statistical data analysis was completed using the SPSS/win and the SAS/win packages. The results of this study can be summarized as follows. 1) Through factor analysis, the 134 KASO items were regrouped into 6 categories: 'primary dietetic tasks concerning menu management and administrative work regarding merchants', 'primary dietetic tasks concerning procurement and purchasing of food and supplies and meal production and service control', 'primary dietetic tasks concerning facility, sanitation and safety control', 'secondary dietetic tasks concerning nutrition education and research', 'secondary dietetic tasks concerning foodservice operation management' and 'human attributes'. 2) Analysis of the total scores(average scores of degree of frequency, importance and entry requirements of KASO items within 6 categories), group A showed high priorities placed on 'human attributes', 'procurement and purchasing of food and supplies and meal production and service control', 'menu management and administrative work regarding merchants', 'whereas group B showed high priorities placed on 'human attributes', 'foodservice operation management'.
The job characteristics and competencies of 285 dietitians in employee foodservices were investigated by worker-oriented job analysis methodology. The purposes of this study were to : a) determine the knowledge, abilities, skills and other characteristics(KASO, hereafter) needed for dietitians in two types of employee foodservice groups(self-operated vs. contracted) and b) the analysis of the degree of frequency and importance and entry requirements of KASO items listed below : their degree of frequency, the level of importance and their function as entry requirements. The 134 KASO items would be divided into 12 task categories. The questionnaire was mailed to 250 dietitians who are members of The Korean Dietetic Association Practice Group in self-operated foodservices(hereafter group A) and 250 dietitians who are employed in contracted foodservice companies(hereafter group B). Completed were received from 285 dietitians(121 in self-operated, 164 in contracted) ; with a response rate of 57%. Statistical data analysis was completed using the SPSS/win and the SAS/win packages. The results of this study can be summarized as follows. 1) Analysis of the degree of frequency, importance and entry requirements of 134 KASO items in group A showed a high priority(score<4.0) placed on 14 items in relation to dietetic tasks and 9 items in relation to human attributes, whereas in group B 19 items in relation to dietetic tasks and 11 items in relation to human attributes. 2) Comparing responses about the KASO items in the 12 task categories, there was a significant difference between the two sample groups with regard to degree of frequency : group A scored 3.29, group B scored 3.50(p<0.01). With regard to importance of KASO items in 12 task categories, group A scored 3.78 and group B scored 3.88 showing no significant differences. With to entry requirements of KASO items in 12 task categories, group A scored 3.29 and group B scored 3.46 showing a significant difference(p<0.05).