Evaluation of worksite policies and practices promoting nutrition and physical activity among hospital workers
International Journal of Workplace Health Management
ISSN: 1753-8351
Article publication date: 7 March 2016
Abstract
Purpose
As posited by the ecological model of health, improvements in the nutrition and physical activity environments of worksites may facilitate healthier dietary intakes and physical activity patterns of employees. This cross-sectional study describes current policies and practices targeting these environments in five large Texas-based hospitals employing approximately 40,000 adults. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The environmental assessment tool survey, an observation tool, was used to assess these policies and practices in August and September 2012.
Findings
Results demonstrated major policy and practice deficiencies, including a lack of policies supporting on and offsite employee physical fitness, no healthy catering or healthy meeting policies, minimal subsidizing of healthy food and beverage options, few health-promoting vending services, and no performance objectives related to worksite health improvement. Hospitals having an active employee wellness staff consistently performed better on implementation of policies and practices supporting healthy eating and physical activity.
Practical implications
This study supports practice recommendations including engaging executive leadership to prioritize worksite wellness and using policies to create an infrastructure that promotes healthy eating and encourages physical activity among employees.
Originality/value
This study is the first to compare and contrast the nutrition and the physical activity environments of large hospitals, allowing for the identification of common environmental barriers and supports across multiple hospital and foodservice systems.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the Shape Up Houston non-profit organization and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation for their support on the study. The authors would also like to thank the participating Texas Medical Center institutions and their employees for their participation on the project. Finally, the authors would like to thank Ms Simin Masani for her work on Shape Up Houston evaluation study.
Citation
Sharma, S.V., Winston Paolicelli, C., Jyothi, V., Baun, W., Perkison, B., Phipps, M., Montgomery, C., Feltovich, M., Griffith, J., Alfaro, V. and Pompeii, L.A. (2016), "Evaluation of worksite policies and practices promoting nutrition and physical activity among hospital workers", International Journal of Workplace Health Management, Vol. 9 No. 1, pp. 46-62. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-03-2014-0005
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited