HARMONIZATION OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF NUTRICIOLOGISTS IN UKRAINE WITH EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31548/humanhealth.4.2026.23Keywords:
nutritionist education, competency-based approach, degree programmes, public health nutrition, two-level model, food policy, higher education standardsAbstract
Non-communicable diseases, primarily cardiovascular disease, are the leading cause of mortality in Ukraine, while nutrition remains a key modifiable risk factor. Effectively addressing this challenge requires properly trained nutritionists; however, their training system in Ukraine is still under regulatory development, and experience in designing educational programmes remains insufficiently systematised.
The study aimed to systematise international models of nutritionist training, compare them with current competency frameworks, and formulate recommendations for developing national education at bachelor's and master's levels.
We conducted a narrative review of literature (PubMed, Scopus, 2015–2025) and programme documents of leading European universities; 21 publications were included in the final analysis. The basic and advanced competency frameworks of the European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians (EFAD) were compared with the draft Ukrainian professional standard for nutritionists.
Analysis identified 12 cross-cutting competency clusters across international training programmes. The most persistent gaps were insufficient practical training, deficient behavioural and communication competencies, absent business skills, and inadequate coverage of population nutrition and research. The draft Ukrainian standard has a pronounced clinical bias and contains virtually no competencies in public health, advocacy, or research. A conceptual model of two-level training is proposed. The bachelor's level focuses on clinical practice and individual counselling, with training in morphological and chemical sciences, nutrition fundamentals, food service organisation, epidemiology, and internal medicine.
The master's level targets population nutrition, food policy, health promotion, and research. Experience of accredited programmes at NULES of Ukraine confirms the practical feasibility of this division: bachelor's students are mainly school graduates oriented towards clinical practice, whereas master's programmes attract specialists from various fields interested in retraining in food policy and research.
The results may serve as a methodological basis for developing educational standards and modernising nutrition curricula in Ukraine in line with current European approaches.
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