Abstract

Background
In North-East England, the percentage of adults living with overweight/obesity in 2022 was 68% and had the highest percentage of individuals living with obesity at 39%, in comparison to the national average of 64% and 29% respectively. As many adults spend significant periods of their time in the workplace, employers are uniquely positioned to influence the health outcomes of their employees. Workplace environments have been identified as playing a crucial role in shaping employee health behaviours and dietary habits, and the provision of a “healthy food environment” can be beneficial for employees.

Objectives
This study aimed to explore employer and employee perceptions of “healthy food environments”, workplace food availability and options, employer systems for promoting a healthy lifestyle, and other factors which could impact upon healthy eating at work.

Methods
A mixed-methods study to investigate factors affecting healthy eating in the workplace was conducted across a range of workplaces located in Sunderland. Eight employer interviews were conducted to identify themes that informed the questionnaire targeting employees. The questionnaire employed both quantitative and qualitative questions for which 78 employee survey responses were collected. Data were analysed qualitatively using thematic analysis and quantitatively using descriptive statistics.

Results
The major themes identified were determined at either a personal level or by the workplace determinants, with sub-themes of knowledge, habits, healthy lifestyle promotion, options, facilities and job role. It was seen that job role and/or type of work impacted upon individual options and choices as those with physically active job roles often chose calorie-dense foods to overcome fatigue. Participants suggested potential barriers to developing and sustaining healthy dietary habits, including limited availability to store, prepare or buy healthier foods in the workplace.

Conclusions
The adoption of a healthy lifestyle is both workplace dependent and attributable to individual personal responsibility. There is scope for employers to increase their impact on supporting positive employee health motivation and behaviours with a broad and consistent provision. Enablers for developing and maintaining healthy dietary habits include; workforce education by employers, availability of appealing hot and cold healthy options with nutritional information, availability of foods and food preparation facilities, and healthy lifestyle incentives/promotions.