PROFILE AND CAREER OF NUTRITION GRADUATES FROM VALE DO PARAÍBA REGION, STATE OF SÃO PAULO

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate professional characteristics, including practices related to the updating of knowledge in the field of performance of Nutrition graduates. Methodology: Descriptive and cross-sectional study using a structured questionnaire composed of closed questions and an instrument for evaluating lifelong learning. The data were analyzed in a descriptive and analytical way. For the analysis of the difference between the prevalences in the different tertiles of the Jefferson Scale, the Chi-Square test was used. Results: Most graduates were women, the main area of practice and graduate course was clinic, the salary ranged between 2 and 3 minimum wages, with possible variation depending on the worked hours. The nutritionists with greater motivation and dedication to technical-scientific updating had higher salaries. Discussion: The use of a tool that proposes to measure lifelong learning has brought some interesting questions for reflection, such as the relation between greater technical and scientific improvement and the salary issue. Conclusion: Future studies, including the validation of the instrument used in this research, can bring great contribution and enable more consistent evaluations regarding the career of nutritionists. (English) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]