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A survey of 60 rural, 62 urban Alaska women (64% Alaska Native) indicated positive dietary and lifestyle habits. Diets were characterized by boiled meats, high intakes of omega-3 fish, sea mammals and few desserts. Food insecurity reported by 39% rural and 7% of urban. Hunger was reported by 16% of rural and 5% of urban women. Traditional activities were walking, harvesting fish and picking berries. One third of calories came from non-traditional sugared and fruit juice beverages. Few respondents reported chronic diseases. Nutrition and health educational interventions in Alaska Native communities should reinforce existing positive lifestyle habits, involve Elders and tribal leaders, and incorporate Native values, customs and traditions.

Objectives. To determine if age and gender subsets of Inupiaq Elders living in urban and rurallocations present different characteristics of self-reported health, physical and mental functioning,functioning of daily activities, body mass index, nutrient intake and food insecurity.Study design. Quantitative, comparative survey of 100 Inupiaq Elders, 52 living in 2 north-westernAlaska communities, and 48 living in Anchorage. All participants were community-dwelling,non-institutionalized individuals.Methods. Surveys were one-to-one in an oral conversational format using tested instruments.Results. For all age groups, mean fat intake was 37%. Rural groups reported higher vitalityscores. The most commonly reported physical limitation was walking. Rural males of 50–59years reported the highest level of food insecurity, calorie intake and rates of smoking but alsothe highest SF-12 Mental Functioning Composite Scores (MCS) and Physical Functioning Scores(PCS). Of urban males 50–59, half reported hypertension, the highest percentage of all groups,and 41% reported eating less than 2 meals per day. Urban males ≥60 years reported the highestnumber of Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Females 50–59 reported the highest self-reportedhealth status and the lowest depression scores. Older rural women ≥60 years reported higher SF-12MCS and SF-12 PCS than their urban cohorts, but reported the most Instrumental Activities ofDaily Living (IADLs). Older urban women ≥60 years had the lowest mean calorie intake.Conclusions. Rural Inupiaq villages provide positive environments for aging well. Reinforcingand enhancing services to assist Native Elders in rural locations might enhance their quality ofaging more so than moving them to urban communities. (Int J Circumpolar Health 2009;68(2):182–196) Keywords. Quality of aging, nutrition, food insecurity, Inupiaq, Alaska

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a change in education methods on learning among students enrolled in a coordinated undergraduate program (CUP). An experimental process applying the principles of diet therapy and counseling in a situation involving volunteer clients was initiated, and the effects were measured. A pretest-post-test design was used for this investigation. Two psychometric instruments, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Affective Sensitivity Scale, were used to measure changes in attitudes, values, and aptitude. The curriculum of the treatment group (19 juniors in the CUP) was reorganized so that diet therapy and dietary counseling would be taught during the same semester. The laboratory sessions were combined the last 6 weeks of the semester to provide an opportunity for students to counsel clients recruited from the university campus. The comparison group (11 seniors in the CUP) had enrolled in diet therapy the first semester of the junior year and dietetic counseling the second semester; those students were tested during their senior year. The research indicated that the students in the treatment group learned effectively. They significantly increased their awareness, listening, and understanding during the treatment period. The post-test of the treatment group indicated that they had increased perception and more acute affective sensitivity in comparison with the control group.

Four decision-making styles (technician, planner, teacher, artist) were distinguished with Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) results for 61 dietitians and 55 dietetic students. The "technician" style (impersonal, matter-of-fact analysis expressed in technical skills) was preferred to other styles by the greatest percentage of subjects studied. Subgroups of clinical dietitians, those 40 years old or older, and dietetic internship graduates preferred the "technical" style that is related to academic achievement in applied and physical sciences. Dietitians in administration, consulting, education, and public health indicated a preference for the “artistic” style (an insightful approach to possibilities expressed in an ability to communicate well with others). CUP graduates indicated the most diversity in style preferences. The planner style identified with researchers was preferred to the "artistic" style by students. Available data from groups of dietitians studied by other investigators supported these findings and indicated similarities among dietitians, school administrators, and medical technicians. Comparison between students in this and other samples indicated more differences than similarities, which may be due to differences in programs. Since all styles are useful within the profession, it is suggested that the identification and adaptation of style be included in education programs for dietetic students and practitioners.

The importance of the nutritional status of the patient in acute and chronic disease states is well documented.1 Actual assessment of the nutriture of an individual patient is difficult2 and motivating a permanent change in food intake for health reasons is equally if not more difficult to achieve.3Physicians have the right to expect professional dietetic personnel to help them design appropriate dietary regimens, as well as to help patients achieve the desired behavior changes.