TY - JOUR

T1 - Workforce gender, company size and corporate financial support are predictors of availability of healthy meals in Danish worksite canteens

AU - Thorsen, Anne Vibeke

AU - Lassen, Anne Dahl

AU - Andersen, Jens Strodl

AU - Mikkelsen, Bent Egberg

PY - 2009/2

Y1 - 2009/2

N2 - Objective: Environmental strategies at worksites may help consumers change dietary behaviour towards a more healthy diet. The present study aimed to evaluate the availability of healthy meal options at Danish worksite canteens and to identify predictors of worksite canteens providing healthy meals.Design A self-administered questionnaire was randomly mailed to 1967 worksite canteen managers. Besides information and characteristics about the canteen and the worksite, the canteen managers specified the menus available. Two different health groups (Healthy and Less Healthy) were defined in three different meal categories (Sandwiches, Hot meals and Salads) as well as a combined category (Combined) combining all the three meal categories. The characteristics of the worksites were compared with regard to the different health groups.Setting Randomly selected Danish worksite canteens.Subjects 553 Danish worksite canteen managers replied, resulting in a response rate of 29%.Results: Only 12% of the canteens applied to the Healthy group combining all the three meal categories. In particular, worksites with more than 75% female employees served healthy menus on a frequent basis. The size of the worksite was positively correlated with more healthy meal options. Furthermore, the present study suggests a positive relationship between corporate financial support and the availability of healthy meal options.Conclusions: Among the selected variables studied, workforce gender, company size and corporate financial support were significant predictors of the availability of healthy meal options in worksite canteens. More research is needed on the role that variance in organisation environment plays for the potential of worksite intervention, to make a difference in terms of healthy eating.

AB - Objective: Environmental strategies at worksites may help consumers change dietary behaviour towards a more healthy diet. The present study aimed to evaluate the availability of healthy meal options at Danish worksite canteens and to identify predictors of worksite canteens providing healthy meals.Design A self-administered questionnaire was randomly mailed to 1967 worksite canteen managers. Besides information and characteristics about the canteen and the worksite, the canteen managers specified the menus available. Two different health groups (Healthy and Less Healthy) were defined in three different meal categories (Sandwiches, Hot meals and Salads) as well as a combined category (Combined) combining all the three meal categories. The characteristics of the worksites were compared with regard to the different health groups.Setting Randomly selected Danish worksite canteens.Subjects 553 Danish worksite canteen managers replied, resulting in a response rate of 29%.Results: Only 12% of the canteens applied to the Healthy group combining all the three meal categories. In particular, worksites with more than 75% female employees served healthy menus on a frequent basis. The size of the worksite was positively correlated with more healthy meal options. Furthermore, the present study suggests a positive relationship between corporate financial support and the availability of healthy meal options.Conclusions: Among the selected variables studied, workforce gender, company size and corporate financial support were significant predictors of the availability of healthy meal options in worksite canteens. More research is needed on the role that variance in organisation environment plays for the potential of worksite intervention, to make a difference in terms of healthy eating.

KW - Corporate dining

KW - Healthy eating

KW - Nutrition

KW - Worksite

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=75149149429&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1017/S1368980009005692

DO - 10.1017/S1368980009005692

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 19433006

AN - SCOPUS:75149149429

VL - 12

SP - 2068

EP - 2073

JO - Public Health Nutrition

JF - Public Health Nutrition

SN - 1368-9800

IS - 11

ER -