An evaluation of the healthfulness of the hospital food environment
View File(s)
- Author(s)
- Details
-
Dr. Cynthia E. Horton Dias, PhD, BSN, RN, CMSRN
- Sigma Affiliation
- Alpha Xi
Visitor Statistics
Visits vs Downloads
Visitors - World Map
Top Visiting Countries
Country | Visits |
---|
Top Visiting Cities
City | Visits |
---|
Visits (last 6 months)
Downloads (last 6 months)
Popular Works for Dias, Cynthia E. Horton by View
Title | Page Views |
---|
Popular Works for Dias, Cynthia E. Horton by Download
Title | Downloads |
---|
View Citations
Citations
Though nurses may have knowledge about the health promoting benefits of a healthy diet, many do not consume enough fruits or vegetables. For hospital shift nurses to achieve healthy eating while at work, environmental barriers were reportedly the most challenging to overcome. To better understand the hospital food environment from the nurses’ perspective, two mechanisms for workplace food acquisition were studied: 1.) hospital consumer food environment, which includes cafeterias, vending machines, and gift shops; and 2.) free food at work.
Through observations of 31 South Carolina hospitals using the Hospital Nutrition Environment Scan (HNES), descriptive data was collected to illuminate the healthfulness of hospital consumer food environments across the state. The presence of health-promoting practices and environmental barriers of importance to nurses were observed and aggregated to provide an overall assessment. Scores and observations were also compared between groups according to hospital size, urbanization, and teaching status.
Free food at work was investigated through a concept analysis and an exploratory electronic survey of hospital nurses from across the United States. Prevalence, consumption, location, and sources of free food were the primary areas of interest for quantifying the problem of free food at work for hospital nurses. Additionally, personal, nursing, and hospital demographics; self-efficacy for diet; and regular fruit and vegetable intake were also measured and used to compare differences in free food availability and consumption.
Findings revealed that hospital food environments from the nurses’ perspective needed additional health-promoting practices implemented. Specifically, the hospital consumer food environment lacked 24/7 access to fruits and vegetables but had an overabundance of access to unhealthy foods. Similarly, free food at work was provided often and nearby but typically consisted of high energy, low nutrient density foods. Even though nurses recognized free food as a less healthy option, they regularly consumed it when available. This study adds to our knowledge on the health status of hospital food environments as experienced by nurses.
This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 28154973; ProQuest document ID: 2503475224. The author still retains copyright.
This item has not gone through this repository's peer-review process, but has been accepted by the indicated university or college in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the specified degree.
Type | Dissertation |
Acquisition | Proxy-submission |
Review Type | None: Degree-based Submission |
Format | Text-based Document |
Evidence Level | Cross-Sectional |
Research Approach | Mixed/Multi Method Research |
Keywords | Dietary Behaviors; Health Promotion; Hospital; Workplace |
Grantor | University of South Carolina |
Advisor | Dawson, Robin M.; Abshire, Demetrius A.; Wirth, Michael D.; Harris, Diane M. |
Level | PhD |
Year | 2020 |
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.
All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subjects.
-
Nurses Have to "Run the Gauntlet": Achieving Healthy Eating While Working in Hospitals
Dias, Cynthia HortonTargeting improved dietary behaviors in nurses starts with exploring and understanding the unique challenges that nurses face due to shift work and the hospital setting. Through qualitative inquiry, nurses revealed the the ... -
Promoting healthy work environments by evaluating and addressing sleep habits of nursing students
Thomas, Cynthia M.; Lamar, Ruthie; McIntosh, Constance E. (2017-03-03)Session presented on Sunday, March 19, 2017: Nursing students, part of the healthcare team, lose sleep by working long hours in jobs and clinicals. Long work hours may lead to psychological, health, safety and quality ... -
Influences of nutritional food label understanding on African American women with obesity
Hickman, Cynthia JeanNutritional food label understanding (NFLU) in African American Women (AAW) is a philosophy that addresses obesity. Public health efforts have implemented nutritional and caloric information to packaged and restaurant foods ... -
Factors affecting health promotion behaviors among urban Black women
Hepburn, Millie A.; Bautista, Cynthia A.This descriptive study explored behavioral and demographic variables associated with health promotion behaviors among urban Black women. Health literacy, self-efficacy and readiness for change in a population of urban Black ... -
Health and the hospital workplace environment of US nurses
Priano, Susan M.; Dawson-Rose, Carol; Hong, OiSaeng (2018-06-18)A cross-sectional study using the American Nurses Association HealthyNurseTM online health risk appraisal data to describe hospital registered nurses' health, perceived health and their perception of the health and safety ...