Objective: We investigated the qualities or abilities that registered dietitians who belonged to various occupational fields needed for their current profession. Methods: Participants of this investigation were 203 registered dietitians who were members of the Japan Dietetic Association in July 2017, chosen from each professional category in divisions of different generations. The registered dietitians estimated the importance of 19 items of qualities or abilities needed for their profession,

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... d we scored those from 1~5. The professional fields as the analysis were clinical nutrition, public health nutrition, diet and nutrition education for children, welfare for the elderly, food service, food or nutrition industry and entrepreneurship. We analyzed the participants according to their professional fields and age. Results: As a result of exploratory factor analysis, four factors were determined. The score for "occupational awareness" was 4.8, "problem solving skills" was 4.7 and "research skills" was 3.3. The scores for "problem solving skills" were higher in public health nutrition, the food or nutrition industry, and food service than those of other professional fields. In addition, the scores for "problem solving skills" and "research skills" were higher in the age groups of 50~59 years and 60~69 than those of other age groups. The scores for "organizational management capabilities" were higher in the age group of 50~59 years than those of below 50 years old. Conclusions: The results of this study have suggested the qualities or abilities of a registered dietitian by occupational fields and age. Jpn. J. Nutr. Diet., 77 (Suppl) S70~S77 (2019)