Survey of nutritionists in state and local public health agencies

A spring 1985 survey of 50 state and four territorial public health nutrition directors identified 2,931 budgeted positions for public health nutritionists--1,128 in state agencies and 1,803 in local health departments. To achieve the recommended staffing ratio of one public health nutritionist per 50,000 population, an estimated 1,827 more public health nutritionists are needed nationwide with more needed in some states than in others. About half of the state personnel systems require registration or registration eligibility to assure expertise of public health nutrition personnel; about one-third also require graduate training in public health for leadership, planning, and policymaking positions. Sixty-two percent of the funding for state and local health agency nutritionist positions is from the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). When that is added to the 11% of funds from the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, 73% of the public health nutritionist positions are federally supported to serve women of childbearing age, infants, and children. That leaves the remaining state and local funding sources and the federal Prevention Block Grant (2%) to pay salaries of nutritionists to serve the general public, including men, postmenopausal women, and the elderly.