Healthcare staff perceptions of the hospital food environment: a narrative systematic review
Abstract Objective: To understand healthcare staff perspectives of their hospital food environment and the impact of these perceptions on their food choice, health and well-being. Design: A narrative systematic review. Setting: Publications were eligible for inclusion if participants were hosp...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Public Health Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S136898002500031X/type/journal_article |
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| _version_ | 1849732029177921536 |
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| author | Lorraine McSweeney Marta Buczkowska Laura Denning Millie Elcock Suzanne Spence |
| author_facet | Lorraine McSweeney Marta Buczkowska Laura Denning Millie Elcock Suzanne Spence |
| author_sort | Lorraine McSweeney |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Abstract
Objective:
To understand healthcare staff perspectives of their hospital food environment and the impact of these perceptions on their food choice, health and well-being.
Design:
A narrative systematic review.
Setting:
Publications were eligible for inclusion if participants were hospital-based staff, and all job roles were eligible, including both clinical and non-clinical staff. Both public and private hospitals in the UK, the USA or Australia were included.
Participants:
Clinical and non-clinical staff employed in hospitals.
Results:
A systematic search was carried out across four databases: OVID Medline, CINAHL, PsycInfo and Scopus. Grey literature screening was completed via Google and Google Scholar. Eleven studies were included and were predominantly from the UK. Setting sizes varied or were unknown, and participant numbers varied (n 16 to n 1158) or were unknown. Most participants were nurses. Methods included reports, surveys, focus groups and interviews. The main themes identified were accessibility to food, diversity of food choices, free foods used to boost staff morale and job role influencing engagement with the food environment. Staff reported issues around canteen opening hours, limited healthy food options and free food on wards, causing extra calories to be consumed. Irregular breaks and staffing shortages affected hospital staff’s ability to engage with the wider food environment, resulting in reliance on convenience foods and snacks.
Conclusions:
The current hospital food environment does not facilitate healthy dietary practices and is perceived by staff as a barrier to healthy eating. The hospital food environment requires adaptation to reflect a 24-hour workplace.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bb3ffd7d24444fd4af21194f6b7c5c8f |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1368-9800 1475-2727 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Public Health Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj-art-bb3ffd7d24444fd4af21194f6b7c5c8f2025-08-20T03:08:21ZengCambridge University PressPublic Health Nutrition1368-98001475-27272025-01-012810.1017/S136898002500031XHealthcare staff perceptions of the hospital food environment: a narrative systematic reviewLorraine McSweeney0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1044-6201Marta Buczkowska1Laura Denning2Millie Elcock3Suzanne Spence4Human Nutrition and Exercise Research Centre, Population Health Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UKSchool of Biomedical, Nutrition and Sports Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UKSchool of Biomedical, Nutrition and Sports Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UKSchool of Biomedical, Nutrition and Sports Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UKHuman Nutrition and Exercise Research Centre, Population Health Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Abstract Objective: To understand healthcare staff perspectives of their hospital food environment and the impact of these perceptions on their food choice, health and well-being. Design: A narrative systematic review. Setting: Publications were eligible for inclusion if participants were hospital-based staff, and all job roles were eligible, including both clinical and non-clinical staff. Both public and private hospitals in the UK, the USA or Australia were included. Participants: Clinical and non-clinical staff employed in hospitals. Results: A systematic search was carried out across four databases: OVID Medline, CINAHL, PsycInfo and Scopus. Grey literature screening was completed via Google and Google Scholar. Eleven studies were included and were predominantly from the UK. Setting sizes varied or were unknown, and participant numbers varied (n 16 to n 1158) or were unknown. Most participants were nurses. Methods included reports, surveys, focus groups and interviews. The main themes identified were accessibility to food, diversity of food choices, free foods used to boost staff morale and job role influencing engagement with the food environment. Staff reported issues around canteen opening hours, limited healthy food options and free food on wards, causing extra calories to be consumed. Irregular breaks and staffing shortages affected hospital staff’s ability to engage with the wider food environment, resulting in reliance on convenience foods and snacks. Conclusions: The current hospital food environment does not facilitate healthy dietary practices and is perceived by staff as a barrier to healthy eating. The hospital food environment requires adaptation to reflect a 24-hour workplace. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S136898002500031X/type/journal_articleHospital staffHospital food environmentPerceptionsHealth and well-being |
| spellingShingle | Lorraine McSweeney Marta Buczkowska Laura Denning Millie Elcock Suzanne Spence Healthcare staff perceptions of the hospital food environment: a narrative systematic review Public Health Nutrition Hospital staff Hospital food environment Perceptions Health and well-being |
| title | Healthcare staff perceptions of the hospital food environment: a narrative systematic review |
| title_full | Healthcare staff perceptions of the hospital food environment: a narrative systematic review |
| title_fullStr | Healthcare staff perceptions of the hospital food environment: a narrative systematic review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Healthcare staff perceptions of the hospital food environment: a narrative systematic review |
| title_short | Healthcare staff perceptions of the hospital food environment: a narrative systematic review |
| title_sort | healthcare staff perceptions of the hospital food environment a narrative systematic review |
| topic | Hospital staff Hospital food environment Perceptions Health and well-being |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S136898002500031X/type/journal_article |
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