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Cover to cover: 2003 Journal reader survey1
practice applications
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Cover to Cover: 2003 Journal Reader Survey
W
hen readers were asked to indicate which of 22 publications (including the Journal) they rely on for dietetics-related information, 70% indicated they rely on the Journal. This is a full 24 percentage points higher than the next most commonly mentioned publication (Today’s Dietitian). From September 3 to October 20, 2003, data were collected from a mail survey of a sample of 1,054 domestic, non-library recipients of the Journal, which included both ADA members and nonmembers. Research for this study was conducted and compiled by Readex, a nationally recognized independent research company located in Stillwater, MN. Data collected from the survey included readership and opinions of the Journal, topic interest, and use and opinions of the Nutrition Fact Sheets. READERSHIP On average, respondents spent 48 minutes reviewing or looking at the Journal and have read 2.4 out of the last four issues. The most popular departments in the Journal are Perspectives in Practice (PIP), For Your Information (FYI), and Research. Thirty-eight percent of respondents reported reading PIP most of the time or always. PIP is a peer-reviewed section devoted to applied research, showcasing practice-oriented research and ideas that can be adapted to other practice settings. Thirty-seven percent of respondents said that they read FYI articles most of the time or always. FYI is a wide-ranging section consisting of articles designed for direct application to dietetics practice. Article topics include emerging topics in dietetics, career enhancement, and overviews of emerging naThis article was written by Jason T. Switt, editor, and Michael J. Phillips, Jr, former editor, for the Journal in Chicago, IL. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2004.04.007
tional nutrition issues. The same percentage of respondents also said that they read Research articles most of the time or always. Since scientific research is the foundation of the dietetics profession, it is not surprising that this section is so popular. Dietetics professionals under the age of 30 tend to read Research and Review articles more frequently than those over 30. Forty-six percent of respondents under 30 consult the Research department most or all of the time, while 32% of respondents 30 to 44 years old and 36% of respondents over 44 read it frequently. For the Review section, 41% of respondents under 30 read it most or all of the time, as compared to 30% of respondents between 30 and 59 and 28% of respondents over 60. As a catalyst for discussion and initiative, 72% of respondents took some form of action based on reading articles or advertisements in the Journal. The most common actions were filing items for future reference (43%) and discussing items with others (39%). Respondents under 30 were more likely to have discussed material with others (51%). Passing issues along is done by 18% of Journal recipients. The average rate all recipients pass along the Journal to other people is 0.4. This extends the distribution of the Journal to approximately 22,400 individuals beyond the circulation. TOPICS OF INTEREST An important aspect of the survey was to determine topics of interest that readers wanted to see appear in the Journal. The survey included a list of 62 topic areas, and asked respondents to rate each one on a 5-point scale, with 5 being “very interested” and 1 being “not at all interested.” The top five responses receiving a 4 or a 5 were dietary supplements (76%), disease prevention/health promotion (74%), obesity/ weight management (73%), women’s
© 2004 by the American Dietetic Association
health (70%), and diabetes mellitus (69%). The Table (page 876) shows the responses for all 62 topic areas. For respondents under 30, the topics showing the greatest level of interest were somewhat different than for older respondents. The top five were obesity/weight management (84%), disease prevention/health promotion (83%), women’s health (83%), nutrition support (71%), and vegetarian nutrition (70%). In a third of the topic areas, they showed a greater level of interest than all other age groups. NUTRITION FACT SHEETS A final area of interest is the use of Nutrition Fact Sheets, which appear intermittently in the Journal. During the 12 months preceding the survey, eight appeared in the Journal. Forty percent of respondents have given at least one of them to a patient or a client; 20% of respondents have used four or more of them, and only 5% have used all eight. The average number used is 1.6. Respondents found the Nutrition Fact Sheets to be a highly credible source of information: on a 5-point scale where 5 is highly credible and 1 is not credible, the average credibility rating is 4.06, which is consistent among all respondents of the survey. Also, 49% of respondents reported that they would like to see them in every issue, with another 21% indicating no preference regarding the frequency of appearance. Interest in the sheets is highest among respondents younger than 45 and among respondents engaged in consultation work.
Journal of THE AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION
875
FOR YOUR INFORMATION Table Topics readers want to see featured in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association Topic
Ranka
Topic
Rank
Topic
Rank
Dietary supplements Disease prevention/health promotion Obesity/weight management Women’s health Diabetes mellitus Complementary/alternative nutrition Drug-nutrient interaction
76% 74%
Malnutrition and under-nutrition Body composition measurement
46% 46%
Developmental and psychiatric disorders Quality/performance improvement
29% 28%
73% 70% 69% 65%
46% 44% 44% 43%
Leadership Alcohol/drug addiction Cost effectiveness/benefit analysis Critiquing research
28% 28% 27% 26%
64%
Clinical practice reviews End-of-life care Renal/kidney disease Accreditation/regulatory standards Food safety
42%
26%
Nutrition counseling/education Atherosclerosis and heart disease
63%
Ethics
42%
63%
41%
Dietary assessment methods Gastrointestinal disorders
59% 57%
Client-dietetics professionals relationship and communication issues Computers/the Internet Culinary arts
Technology/information systems and management Patient feeding (menu planning, tray delivery, etc.) Food service management
25% 24%
Aging Behavioral strategies/approaches Nutrition care process/diagnosis/intervention Vegetarian nutrition
56% 56%
Pediatrics Dietetics education/training
39% 39%
Physical medicine and rehabilitation International nutrition and dietetics practice Personnel management Public policy
55%
37%
Transplantation
23%
35%
Strategic planning/budgeting
22%
Nutrition support Sports nutrition Community nutrition/public health Oncology Evidence-based practice/ practice guidelines Eating disorders
52% 50% 49%
Reimbursement/managed care/ Medicare/Medicaid Legal issues (malpractice liability, employment issues, etc.) Food security HIV/AIDS Human genome and genetics
32% 32% 32%
School food service Funding for dietetics-related research Telemedicine
20% 19% 19%
49% 47%
Neurodegenerative diseases Outcomes management
32% 31%
Restaurant management No response
15% 2%
47%
Customer satisfaction
31%
a
53%
40% 40%
Combined percentage of readers responding with a 5 or 4 on a scale ranging from 5–very interested to 1–not at all interested for 62 topics of interest to Journal readers.
876
June 2004 Volume 104 Number 6
26% 26%
23% 23%
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Cover to Cover: 2003 Journal Reader Survey
W
hen readers were asked to indicate which of 22 publications (including the Journal) they rely on for dietetics-related information, 70% indicated they rely on the Journal. This is a full 24 percentage points higher than the next most commonly mentioned publication (Today’s Dietitian). From September 3 to October 20, 2003, data were collected from a mail survey of a sample of 1,054 domestic, non-library recipients of the Journal, which included both ADA members and nonmembers. Research for this study was conducted and compiled by Readex, a nationally recognized independent research company located in Stillwater, MN. Data collected from the survey included readership and opinions of the Journal, topic interest, and use and opinions of the Nutrition Fact Sheets. READERSHIP On average, respondents spent 48 minutes reviewing or looking at the Journal and have read 2.4 out of the last four issues. The most popular departments in the Journal are Perspectives in Practice (PIP), For Your Information (FYI), and Research. Thirty-eight percent of respondents reported reading PIP most of the time or always. PIP is a peer-reviewed section devoted to applied research, showcasing practice-oriented research and ideas that can be adapted to other practice settings. Thirty-seven percent of respondents said that they read FYI articles most of the time or always. FYI is a wide-ranging section consisting of articles designed for direct application to dietetics practice. Article topics include emerging topics in dietetics, career enhancement, and overviews of emerging naThis article was written by Jason T. Switt, editor, and Michael J. Phillips, Jr, former editor, for the Journal in Chicago, IL. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2004.04.007
tional nutrition issues. The same percentage of respondents also said that they read Research articles most of the time or always. Since scientific research is the foundation of the dietetics profession, it is not surprising that this section is so popular. Dietetics professionals under the age of 30 tend to read Research and Review articles more frequently than those over 30. Forty-six percent of respondents under 30 consult the Research department most or all of the time, while 32% of respondents 30 to 44 years old and 36% of respondents over 44 read it frequently. For the Review section, 41% of respondents under 30 read it most or all of the time, as compared to 30% of respondents between 30 and 59 and 28% of respondents over 60. As a catalyst for discussion and initiative, 72% of respondents took some form of action based on reading articles or advertisements in the Journal. The most common actions were filing items for future reference (43%) and discussing items with others (39%). Respondents under 30 were more likely to have discussed material with others (51%). Passing issues along is done by 18% of Journal recipients. The average rate all recipients pass along the Journal to other people is 0.4. This extends the distribution of the Journal to approximately 22,400 individuals beyond the circulation. TOPICS OF INTEREST An important aspect of the survey was to determine topics of interest that readers wanted to see appear in the Journal. The survey included a list of 62 topic areas, and asked respondents to rate each one on a 5-point scale, with 5 being “very interested” and 1 being “not at all interested.” The top five responses receiving a 4 or a 5 were dietary supplements (76%), disease prevention/health promotion (74%), obesity/ weight management (73%), women’s
© 2004 by the American Dietetic Association
health (70%), and diabetes mellitus (69%). The Table (page 876) shows the responses for all 62 topic areas. For respondents under 30, the topics showing the greatest level of interest were somewhat different than for older respondents. The top five were obesity/weight management (84%), disease prevention/health promotion (83%), women’s health (83%), nutrition support (71%), and vegetarian nutrition (70%). In a third of the topic areas, they showed a greater level of interest than all other age groups. NUTRITION FACT SHEETS A final area of interest is the use of Nutrition Fact Sheets, which appear intermittently in the Journal. During the 12 months preceding the survey, eight appeared in the Journal. Forty percent of respondents have given at least one of them to a patient or a client; 20% of respondents have used four or more of them, and only 5% have used all eight. The average number used is 1.6. Respondents found the Nutrition Fact Sheets to be a highly credible source of information: on a 5-point scale where 5 is highly credible and 1 is not credible, the average credibility rating is 4.06, which is consistent among all respondents of the survey. Also, 49% of respondents reported that they would like to see them in every issue, with another 21% indicating no preference regarding the frequency of appearance. Interest in the sheets is highest among respondents younger than 45 and among respondents engaged in consultation work.
Journal of THE AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION
875
FOR YOUR INFORMATION Table Topics readers want to see featured in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association Topic
Ranka
Topic
Rank
Topic
Rank
Dietary supplements Disease prevention/health promotion Obesity/weight management Women’s health Diabetes mellitus Complementary/alternative nutrition Drug-nutrient interaction
76% 74%
Malnutrition and under-nutrition Body composition measurement
46% 46%
Developmental and psychiatric disorders Quality/performance improvement
29% 28%
73% 70% 69% 65%
46% 44% 44% 43%
Leadership Alcohol/drug addiction Cost effectiveness/benefit analysis Critiquing research
28% 28% 27% 26%
64%
Clinical practice reviews End-of-life care Renal/kidney disease Accreditation/regulatory standards Food safety
42%
26%
Nutrition counseling/education Atherosclerosis and heart disease
63%
Ethics
42%
63%
41%
Dietary assessment methods Gastrointestinal disorders
59% 57%
Client-dietetics professionals relationship and communication issues Computers/the Internet Culinary arts
Technology/information systems and management Patient feeding (menu planning, tray delivery, etc.) Food service management
25% 24%
Aging Behavioral strategies/approaches Nutrition care process/diagnosis/intervention Vegetarian nutrition
56% 56%
Pediatrics Dietetics education/training
39% 39%
Physical medicine and rehabilitation International nutrition and dietetics practice Personnel management Public policy
55%
37%
Transplantation
23%
35%
Strategic planning/budgeting
22%
Nutrition support Sports nutrition Community nutrition/public health Oncology Evidence-based practice/ practice guidelines Eating disorders
52% 50% 49%
Reimbursement/managed care/ Medicare/Medicaid Legal issues (malpractice liability, employment issues, etc.) Food security HIV/AIDS Human genome and genetics
32% 32% 32%
School food service Funding for dietetics-related research Telemedicine
20% 19% 19%
49% 47%
Neurodegenerative diseases Outcomes management
32% 31%
Restaurant management No response
15% 2%
47%
Customer satisfaction
31%
a
53%
40% 40%
Combined percentage of readers responding with a 5 or 4 on a scale ranging from 5–very interested to 1–not at all interested for 62 topics of interest to Journal readers.
876
June 2004 Volume 104 Number 6
26% 26%
23% 23%