Department of Dietetics and Nutritional Sciences

Introduction

Phone +36 1 486 4820
Email etk.dietetika@semmelweis.hu
Head of the Department College Professor Dr. Éva Csobod Csajbókné

Background Education of dietetics in Hungary dates back to the 1920s and was initiated by Aladár Soós. The Department of Dietetics was founded in 1975 as part of the newly established College of Health Care (now Semmelweis University Faculty of Health Sciences). The main task of the Department is the undergraduate and graduate training of dieticians while providing courses on nutritional sciences and dietotherapy for other health professionals educated at the Faculty. The Department of Dietetics and Nutrition Sciences is responsible also for the training of Masters of nutrition and food sciences. The programme is carried out in collaboration with the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

Education Over the last 40 years, as many as 2000 dieticians have completed their studies at the Department. The undergraduate training programme is eight semesters long, with a total number of 240 ECTs, of which 40 percent is devoted to theoretical training and 60 percent to practice. Dieticians may be employed as therapeutical dieticians or catering managers.

During the education students are taught the whole scope of dietetic practice such as clinical, administrative and public health/community dietitians. Graduate students can be employed in different areas of public health nutrition and nutritional research fields. Postgraduate training programmes are also available for dietitians.

The Master of Nutrition and Food Sciences was launched in the 2009/2010 academic year. Students are taught by experienced teachers who are recognized as experts in the field of nutrition and food technology as well as in research methodology. The duration of the training is 4 semesters with a total number of 120 ECTS. Graduating as Masters of nutrition and food sciences allows students to continue their studies at Ph.D. level at Semmelweis University Doctoral School in the Health Sciences Researches programme. The Department of Dietetics and Nutrition Sciences has collaborative partnership with the European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians (EFAD).

The Department’s staff is also actively involved in the editorial boards of several professional periodicals, such as Metabolism, New Medicine, Developments in Health Sciences and New Diet (managed by the Association of Hungarian Dieticians).

Research

Food production by fermentation for patients with food allergy and intolerance;
Nutrition Science Analysis and Diethoterapic Interventions;
Innovation in public catering;
Disease Specific Nutrition Therapy and Communication Method;
Examination of the nutrition and nutritional status of the elderly.

Fields of scientific interest are

Monitoring nutrition status and nutrient value at all ages to identify factors of diet-related diseases and health preservation;
Healthy future – sustainability in public food;
Role of different dietary fibres in women with polycystic ovary syndrome;
Investigation of biologically active components in food;
Development of functional food products;
Assessment of the nutritional attitudes of and the prevalence of taking prenatal vitamin products by pregnant women in the light of their mental health;
The role of public catering as a form of nutrition education in the development of nutritional attitudes;
Dietotherapy in treatment of woman infertility;
Study of the effects of spelt and low fodmap diets in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease in remission.

Members of the Department’s staff are actively involved in the boards of different professional organizations in the field of nutrition, such as the Hungarian Society of Nutrition, the Association of Hungarian Dieticians, the College of Health Dietetics and Human Nutrition Council, the National Association of