Multicultural Competency of University Students Majoring in Food and Nutrition

The purposes of the study were to assess the multicultural competencies and to identify potential barriers toward improving multicultural competencies of food and nutrition majors at the university level. A total of 500 students were surveyed and 457 responses were analyzed for the study. The multicultural competencies, based on a literature review, included food culture knowledge, multicultural attitude, and multicultural skills. Approximately half of the respondents took a food culture class as a college course. The food and nutrition majors showed positive multicultural attitudes; however, food culture knowledge scores for traditional Korean food culture and 11 other food cultures remained low (average score: 63.7 out of 100 points). In addition, familiarity with cultural foods and knowledge of food-related cultures were not necessarily related. As a result of factor analysis, multicultural skills, required for dietitians, were classified into three factors: professional skills, food preparation skills, and communication skills. Overall, students rated their professional skills the highest and communication skills the lowest. Multicultural attitudes and skills increased with school years, and students who took a food culture class showed significantly higher multicultural attitudes and knowledge scores compared to their counterparts. Economical issues, lack of time, and lack of opportunities for learning multicultural competencies in majors and experiencing different cultures were highly rated potential barriers for improving multicultural competencies. Our research indicates that food and nutrition educators should review their curriculums to incorporate content that encourages food and nutrition majors to learn about other food cultures and improve their multicultural competency. These skills will be critical for food and nutrition professionals in the multicultural age.