Towards healthier food choices for hospital staff and visitors: impacts of a healthy food and drink policy implemented at scale in Australia
- PMID: 34384515
- PMCID: PMC10195515
- DOI: 10.1017/S1368980021003426
Towards healthier food choices for hospital staff and visitors: impacts of a healthy food and drink policy implemented at scale in Australia
Abstract
Objective: To determine the impact of a healthy food and drink policy on hospital staff and visitors' food purchasing behaviours, and their awareness and support for the changes introduced.
Design: Two repeated cross-sectional surveys, consisting of intercept interviews and observations of food items purchased, were conducted before (March-July 2018) and after (April-June 2019) the target date for implementation of thirteen food and drink practices (31 December 2018). Food purchases were coded as 'Everyday' (healthy) or 'Occasional' (unhealthy).
Setting: Ten randomly selected New South Wales public hospitals, collection sites including hospital entrances and thirteen hospital cafés/cafeterias.
Participants: Surveys were completed by 4808 hospital staff and visitors (response rate 85 %). The majority were female (63 %), spoke English at home (85 %) and just over half had completed tertiary education (55 %).
Results: Significant increases from before to after the implementation target date were found for policy awareness (23 to 42 %; P < 0·0001) and support (89 to 92 %; P = 0·01). The proportion of 'Everyday' food purchases increased, but not significantly (56 to 59 %; P = 0·22); with significant heterogeneity between outlets (P = 0·0008). Overall, younger, non-tertiary-educated adults, visitors and those that spoke English at home were significantly less likely to purchase 'Everyday' food items. Support was also significantly lower in males.
Conclusions: The findings provide evidence of strong policy support, an increasing awareness of related changes and a trend towards increased 'Everyday' food purchasing. Given the relatively early phase of policy implementation, and the complexity of individual food purchasing decisions, longer-term follow-up of purchasing behaviour is recommended following ongoing implementation efforts.
Keywords: Health policy; Healthy environments; Nutrition; Obesity.
Figures
Similar articles
-
Australian healthy retail policies in hospital settings - a policy analysis and scoping review of potential impacts on dietary behaviours.Public Health Res Pract. 2024 Apr 4;34(1):3412406. doi: 10.17061/phrp3412406. Public Health Res Pract. 2024. PMID: 38569572 Review.
-
A Cross-Sectional Study of the Nutritional Quality of New South Wales High School Student Food and Drink Purchases Made via an Online Canteen Ordering System.Nutrients. 2021 Nov 30;13(12):4327. doi: 10.3390/nu13124327. Nutrients. 2021. PMID: 34959881 Free PMC article.
-
The effectiveness of canteen manager audit and feedback reports and online menu-labels in encouraging healthier food choices within students' online lunch orders: A pilot cluster randomised controlled trial in primary school canteens in New South Wales, Australia.Appetite. 2022 Feb 1;169:105856. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105856. Epub 2021 Dec 9. Appetite. 2022. PMID: 34896385 Clinical Trial.
-
Impact and acceptance of a state-wide policy to remove sugar-sweetened beverages in hospitals in New South Wales, Australia.Health Promot J Austr. 2021 Jul;32(3):444-450. doi: 10.1002/hpja.390. Epub 2020 Aug 15. Health Promot J Austr. 2021. PMID: 32713051
-
Nutritional labelling for healthier food or non-alcoholic drink purchasing and consumption.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Feb 27;2(2):CD009315. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009315.pub2. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018. PMID: 29482264 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
-
A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of the Food Environment at an Australian University Campus.Nutrients. 2023 Mar 27;15(7):1623. doi: 10.3390/nu15071623. Nutrients. 2023. PMID: 37049463 Free PMC article.
References
-
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (2019) National Health Survey: First Results, 2017–18. Overweight and Obesity. Cat. no. 4364.0.55.001. Canberra: ABS; available at https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.0... (accessed January 2020).
-
- Australian Government Department of Health (2017) Discretionary Food and Drink Choices; available at https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/discretionary-food-and-d... (accessed January 2020).
-
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (2014) Australian Health Survey: Nutrition First Results – Food and Nutrients, 2011–12. Canberra: ABS; available at https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.0... (accessed January 2020).
-
- Peeters A (2018) Obesity and the future of food policies that promote healthy diets. Nat Rev Endocrinol 14, 430–437. - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Miscellaneous