Research Plus

Promoting healthy eating at work

There is limited to moderate evidence to support the use of workplace interventions to promote healthy eating, this systematic review finds. Seventeen European studies focused on nutrition-only interventions – seven of moderate quality – with an additional 13 looking at nutrition combined with physical activity. Of the 17 nutrition-only studies, just four reported effects on body composition (eg body mass index (BMI)). One educational intervention found a long-term positive impact on BMI, but another – a multi-component intervention – found a small negative effect. There is moderate evidence from multi-component and educationalnutrition-only interventions for positive effects on dietary behaviours, or determinants of those behaviours, but less positive results for combined nutrition and physical activity interventions. There is generally a lack of high-quality studies.

 

European Journal of Public Health 2012; 22(5): 677–683. http://eurpub.oxfordjournals.org/content/22/5/677.abstract

Tags health promotion health work and wellbeing obesity physical activity

Occupational Health at Work December/January 2012/2013 (vol. 09/4) pp40-41