Fiona Geaney

The impact of a workplace catering initiative on dietary intakes of salt and other nutrients: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE Owing to modern lifestyles, individuals are dependent on out-of-home eating. The catering sector can have a pivotal role in influencing our food choices. The objective of the present study was to examine the impact of a structured catering initiative on food choices in a public sector workplace setting. DESIGN A cross-sectional comparison study in two hospitals, one of which had implemented a catering initiative designed to provide nutritious food while reducing sugar, fat and salt intakes. SETTING Two public sector hospitals in Cork, Ireland. SUBJECTS A total of 100 random participants aged 18-64 years (fifty intervention, fifty non-intervention) who consumed at least one main meal in the hospital staff canteen daily. Each respondent was asked to complete one anonymous 24 h dietary recall and questionnaire. Food and nutrient analysis was conducted using WISP (Weighed Intake Software Program). RESULTS Reported mean intakes of total sugars (P < 0·001), total fat (P < 0·000), saturated fat (P < 0·000) and salt (P < 0·046) were significantly lower in the intervention hospital when adjusted for age and gender. In the intervention hospital, 72 % of respondents, compared with 42 % in the non-intervention hospital, complied with the recommended under-3 daily servings of food high in fat and sugar (P < 0·005). In the intervention hospital, 43 % of respondents exceeded the recommended salt intake of 4-6 g/d, compared with 57 % in the non-intervention hospital. CONCLUSIONS Structured catering initiatives in the workplace are a potentially important option in the promotion of healthy food choices. Targeted public health programmes and health policy changes are needed to motivate caterers in the public sector and other industries to develop interventions that promote a healthy diet.

Obesity, diet quality and absenteeism in a working population.

Objective The relationship between workplace absenteeism and adverse lifestyle factors (smoking, physical inactivity and poor dietary patterns) remains ambiguous. Reliance on self-reported absenteeism and obesity measures may contribute to this uncertainty. Using objective absenteeism and health status measures, the present study aimed to investigate what health status outcomes and lifestyle factors influence workplace absenteeism. Design Cross-sectional data were obtained from a complex workplace dietary intervention trial, the Food Choice at Work Study. Setting Four multinational manufacturing workplaces in Cork, Republic of Ireland. Subjects Participants included 540 randomly selected employees from the four workplaces. Annual count absenteeism data were collected. Physical assessments included objective health status measures (BMI, midway waist circumference and blood pressure). FFQ measured diet quality from which DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) scores were constructed. A zero-inflated negative binomial (zinb) regression model examined associations between health status outcomes, lifestyle characteristics and absenteeism. Results The mean number of absences was 2·5 (sd 4·5) d. After controlling for sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, the zinb model indicated that absenteeism was positively associated with central obesity, increasing expected absence rate by 72 %. Consuming a high-quality diet and engaging in moderate levels of physical activity were negatively associated with absenteeism and reduced expected frequency by 50 % and 36 %, respectively. Being in a managerial/supervisory position also reduced expected frequency by 50 %. Conclusions To reduce absenteeism, workplace health promotion policies should incorporate recommendations designed to prevent and manage excess weight, improve diet quality and increase physical activity levels of employees.

Validation of diet and urinary excretion derived estimates of sodium excretion against 24-h urine excretion in a worksite sample.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS To validate diet and urinary excretion derived estimates of sodium intake against those derived from 24-h urine collections in an Irish manufacturing workplace sample. METHODS AND RESULTS We have compared daily sodium (Na) excretion from PABA validated 24-h urine collections with estimated daily sodium excretion derived from the following methods: a standard Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), a modified 24-h dietary recall method, arithmetic extrapolations from morning and evening spot urine samples, predicted sodium excretion from morning and evening spot urine samples using Tanakas, Kawasakis and the INTERSALT formula. All were assessed using mean differences (SD), Bland-Altman plots, correlation coefficients and ROC Area under the Curve (AUC) for a cut off of ≥100 mmol of Na/day. The Food Choice at Work study recruited 802 participants aged 18-64 years, 50 of whom formed the validation sample. The mean measured 24-h urinary sodium (gold standard) was 138 mmol/day (8.1 g salt). At the group level, mean differences were small for both dietary methods and for the arithmetic extrapolations from morning urine samples. The Tanaka, Kawasaki and INTERSALT methods provided biased estimates of 24-h urinary sodium. R(2) values for all methods ranged from 0.1 to 0.48 and AUC findings from 0.57 to 0.76. CONCLUSION Neither dietary nor spot urine sample methods provide adequate validity in the estimation of 24-h urinary sodium at the individual level. However, group mean errors from dietary methods are small and random and compare favourably with those from spot urine samples in this population.

Barriers to and facilitators of implementing complex workplace dietary interventions: process evaluation results of a cluster controlled trial

BackgroundAmbiguity exists regarding the effectiveness of workplace dietary interventions. Rigorous process evaluation is vital to understand this uncertainty. This study was conducted as part of the Food Choice at Work trial which assessed the comparative effectiveness of a workplace environmental dietary modification intervention and an educational intervention both alone and in combination versus a control workplace. Effectiveness was assessed in terms of employees’ dietary intakes, nutrition knowledge and health status in four large manufacturing workplaces. The study aimed to examine barriers to and facilitators of implementing complex workplace interventions, from the perspectives of key workplace stakeholders and researchers involved in implementation.MethodsA detailed process evaluation monitored and evaluated intervention implementation. Interviews were conducted at baseline (27 interviews) and at 7–9 month follow-up (27 interviews) with a purposive sample of workplace stakeholders (managers and participating employees). Topic guides explored factors which facilitated or impeded implementation. Researchers involved in recruitment and data collection participated in focus groups at baseline and at 7–9 month follow-up to explore their perceptions of intervention implementation. Data were imported into NVivo software and analysed using a thematic framework approach.ResultsFour major themes emerged; perceived benefits of participation, negotiation and flexibility of the implementation team, viability and intensity of interventions and workplace structures and cultures. The latter three themes either positively or negatively affected implementation, depending on context. The implementation team included managers involved in coordinating and delivering the interventions and the researchers who collected data and delivered intervention elements. Stakeholders’ perceptions of the benefits of participating, which facilitated implementation, included managers’ desire to improve company image and employees seeking health improvements. Other facilitators included stakeholder buy-in, organisational support and stakeholder cohesiveness with regards to the level of support provided to the intervention. Anticipation of employee resistance towards menu changes, workplace restructuring and target-driven workplace cultures impeded intervention implementation.ConclusionsContextual factors such as workplace structures and cultures need to be considered in the implementation of future workplace dietary interventions. Negotiation and flexibility of key workplace stakeholders plays an integral role in overcoming the barriers of workplace cultures, structures and resistance to change.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials: ISRCTN35108237. Date of registration: 02/07/2013

Nutrition knowledge, diet quality and hypertension in a working population

Objective To examine if employees with higher nutrition knowledge have better diet quality and lower prevalence of hypertension. Method Cross-sectional baseline data were obtained from the complex workplace dietary intervention trial, the Food Choice at Work Study. Participants included 828 randomly selected employees (18–64 years) recruited from four multinational manufacturing workplaces in Ireland, 2013. A validated questionnaire assessed nutrition knowledge. Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ) measured diet quality from which a DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) score was constructed. Standardised digital blood pressure monitors measured hypertension. Results Nutrition knowledge was positively associated with diet quality after adjustment for age, gender, health status, lifestyle and socio-demographic characteristics. The odds of having a high DASH score (better diet quality) were 6 times higher in the highest nutrition knowledge group compared to the lowest group (OR = 5.8, 95% CI 3.5 to 9.6). Employees in the highest nutrition knowledge group were 60% less likely to be hypertensive compared to the lowest group (OR = 0.4, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.87). However, multivariate analyses were not consistent with a mediation effect of the DASH score on the association between nutrition knowledge and blood pressure. Conclusion Higher nutrition knowledge is associated with better diet quality and lower blood pressure but the inter-relationships between these variables are complex.

A cost-analysis of complex workplace nutrition education and environmental dietary modification interventions

BackgroundThe workplace has been identified as a priority setting to positively influence individuals’ dietary behaviours. However, a dearth of evidence exists regarding the costs of implementing and delivering workplace dietary interventions. This study aimed to conduct a cost-analysis of workplace nutrition education and environmental dietary modification interventions from an employer’s perspective.MethodsCost data were obtained from a workplace dietary intervention trial, the Food Choice at Work Study. Micro-costing methods estimated costs associated with implementing and delivering the interventions for 1 year in four multinational manufacturing workplaces in Cork, Ireland. The workplaces were allocated to one of the following groups: control, nutrition education alone, environmental dietary modification alone and nutrition education and environmental dietary modification combined. A total of 850 employees were recruited across the four workplaces. For comparison purposes, total costs were standardised for 500 employees per workplace.ResultsThe combined intervention reported the highest total costs of €31,108. The nutrition education intervention reported total costs of €28,529. Total costs for the environmental dietary modification intervention were €3689. Total costs for the control workplace were zero. The average annual cost per employee was; combined intervention: €62, nutrition education: €57, environmental modification: €7 and control: €0. Nutritionist’s time was the main cost contributor across all interventions, (ranging from 53 to 75% of total costs).ConclusionsWithin multi-component interventions, the relative cost of implementing and delivering nutrition education elements is high compared to environmental modification strategies. A workplace environmental modification strategy added marginal additional cost, relative to the control. Findings will inform employers and public health policy-makers regarding the economic feasibility of implementing and scaling dietary interventions.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials: ISRCTN35108237. Date of registration: The trial was retrospectively registered on 02/07/2013.

Socioeconomic inequalities of cardiovascular risk factors among manufacturing employees in the Republic of Ireland: A cross-sectional study

Objectives: To explore socioeconomic differences in four cardiovascular disease risk factors (overweight/obesity, smoking, hypertension, height) among manufacturing employees in the Republic of Ireland (ROI). Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 850 manufacturing employees aged 18–64 years. Education and job position served as socioeconomic indicators. Group-specific differences in prevalence were assessed with the Chi-squared test. Multivariate regression models were explored if education and job position were independent predictors of the CVD risk factors. Cochran–Armitage test for trend was used to assess the presence of a social gradient. Results: A social gradient was found across educational levels for smoking and height. Employees with the highest education were less likely to smoke compared to the least educated employees (OR 0.2, [95% CI 0.1–0.4]; p < 0.001). Lower educational attainment was associated with a reduction in mean height. Non-linear differences were found in both educational level and job position for obesity/overweight. Managers were more than twice as likely to be overweight or obese relative to those employees in the lowest job position (OR 2.4 [95% CI 1.3–4.6]; p = 0.008). Conclusion: Socioeconomic inequalities in height, smoking and overweight/obesity were highlighted within a sub-section of the working population in ROI.

Barriers and facilitators to implementation of menu labelling interventions to support healthy food choices: a mixed methods systematic review protocol

BackgroundMenu labelling is continuing to gather public and legislative support as one of the potential environmental strategies for addressing the obesity pandemic. However, issues relating to implementation have been reported in countries where menu labelling has been introduced on a voluntary or mandatory basis. The aim of this mixed methods systematic review is to synthesise the empirical evidence on the barriers and facilitators to implementation of menu labelling interventions to support healthy food choices.MethodsThis review will use the ‘best fit’ framework synthesis approach to synthesise qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods evidence. Peer-reviewed publications will be accessed through PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Scopus. Grey literature will be accessed through Google Scholar, OpenGrey, RIAN, EThOS, ProQuest, WorldCat, Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, Open Access Theses and Dissertations, and public health organisation websites. Screening reference lists, citation chaining and contacting authors of all included studies will be undertaken. There will be no restriction on menu labelling scheme or format, publication year or language; however, only primary research studies relevant to supply-side stakeholders will be eligible for inclusion. Study quality will be assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. At least two independent reviewers will perform study selection, data extraction and quality appraisal; if consensus is required, another independent reviewer will be consulted. A combination of deductive coding, using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research as the a priori framework, and inductive analysis, using secondary thematic analysis, will be used. The overall process will assist in the construction of a new evidence-based conceptual model regarding the implementation of menu labelling interventions. The new model will be assessed for bias and a sensitivity analysis performed.DiscussionGiven the growing consensus that a systemic, sustained portfolio of obesity prevention strategies, delivered at scale, is needed to address the obesity epidemic, greater understanding of the practical issues relating to implementation of such strategies is required. Findings from this review will be used to develop a set of best-practice guidelines to enhance the adoption, implementation and sustainability of menu labelling interventions across countries worldwide.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42017083306

Cost-effectiveness of a complex workplace dietary intervention: an economic evaluation of the Food Choice at Work study

Objective To evaluate the costs, benefits and cost-effectiveness of complex workplace dietary interventions, involving nutrition education and system-level dietary modification, from the perspective of healthcare providers and employers. Design Single-study economic evaluation of a cluster-controlled trial (Food Choice at Work (FCW) study) with 1-year follow-up. Setting Four multinational manufacturing workplaces in Cork, Ireland. Participants 517 randomly selected employees (18–65 years) from four workplaces. Interventions Cost data were obtained from the FCW study. Nutrition education included individual nutrition consultations, nutrition information (traffic light menu labelling, posters, leaflets and emails) and presentations. System-level dietary modification included menu modification (restriction of fat, sugar and salt), increase in fibre, fruit discounts, strategic positioning of healthier alternatives and portion size control. The combined intervention included nutrition education and system-level dietary modification. No intervention was implemented in the control. Outcomes The primary outcome was an improvement in health-related quality of life, measured using the EuroQoL 5 Dimensions 5 Levels questionnaire. The secondary outcome measure was reduction in absenteeism, which is measured in monetary amounts. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis (Monte Carlo simulation) assessed parameter uncertainty. Results The system-level intervention dominated the education and combined interventions. When compared with the control, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (€101.37/quality-adjusted life-year) is less than the nationally accepted ceiling ratio, so the system-level intervention can be considered cost-effective. The cost-effectiveness acceptability curve indicates there is some decision uncertainty surrounding this, arising from uncertainty surrounding the differences in effectiveness. These results are reiterated when the secondary outcome measure is considered in a cost–benefit analysis, whereby the system-level intervention yields the highest net benefit (€56.56 per employee). Conclusions System-level dietary modification alone offers the most value per improving employee health-related quality of life and generating net benefit for employers by reducing absenteeism. While system-level dietary modification strategies are potentially sustainable obesity prevention interventions, future research should include long-term outcomes to determine if improvements in outcomes persist. Trial registration number ISRCTN35108237; Post-results.

P49 An economic evaluation of a complex workplace dietary intervention: a cluster controlled trial

Background The workplace is recognised as a priority environment to influence dietary behaviours and improve employee healthy. Yet, previous workplace dietary interventions have failed to combine clinical effectiveness evidence with economic costs, thus the cost-effectiveness of workplace dietary interventions remains unknown. Employing cost and outcome data from the Food Choice at Work (FCW) study, a cluster controlled trial of complex workplace dietary interventions, this study employed an economic evaluation of nutrition education, environmental dietary modification and combined workplace interventions. Methods A 9 month time horizon was assumed (length of interventions). Each of the dietary interventions (education, environment and combined) were compared to a control workplace. Firstly, a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) employed the monetary value of absenteeism to report the net benefit of the interventions compared to the control, from an employer’s perspective. Secondly, cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) were performed using intervention-specific clinical measures (body mass index (BMI), weight and midway waist circumference) to measure health outcomes. Thirdly, a cost-utility analysis (CUA) measured the cost-effectiveness of the interventions in terms of quality adjusted life years (QALYs). The robustness of the QALYs were assessed as the results of the CEAs and CUA were compared. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis (Monte Carlo simulation) assessed parameter uncertainty. Results The environment intervention reported the highest net benefit (€146/employee) which was associated with an average reduction of 0.7 absent days. The environment intervention also reported the lowest incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) for BMI (€14/kg/m2), waist circumference (€3/cm) and weight (€7/kg). The CUA demonstrated similar results as the environment intervention also reported the lowest ICER of €98/QALY, followed by the education (€971/QALY) and combined interventions (€2,156/QALY). The cost-effectiveness acceptability curve (CEAC) indicated that the environment intervention had a 50% probability of being cost-effective when compared to the control at a ceiling ratio of €45,000/QALY. However, as demonstrated on the CEAC, no decision uncertainty surrounded the cost-effectiveness of the education or combined interventions, the control had a higher probability of being cost-effective. Conclusion Although demonstrated over a short timeframe, environmental dietary modification alone, offers a potentially cost-effective approach for improving employee health and generating positive net benefit for employers. While environmental dietary modification strategies are potentially sustainable and important interventions for obesity prevention, future research should include long-term outcomes to determine if improvements in outcomes persist.