Understanding hospital cafeterias: results from cafeteria manager interviews

To describe the characteristics, nutrition-related knowledge, practices, and attitudes of staff managing cafeterias in New York City (NYC) hospitals.

An in-person survey was administered over 7 months to cafeteria managers from hospitals participating in the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Healthy Hospital Food Initiative. The survey assessed nutrition knowledge and attitudes; hospital cafeteria practices; and nutrition standards and policies. The majority of questions required a yes or no response, followed by an open-ended request for details related to the response. Other questions were multiple choice or used 5-point Likert scales to measure respondent perceptions.

Seventeen cafeteria managers completed the survey. Less than a third of respondents had training in nutrition, and less than a quarter of hospitals followed nutrition standards for food offered in the cafeteria. Most respondents thought cafeterias could play a role in reducing sodium consumption, yet less than half correctly identified the largest sources of sodium in the average diet. The most commonly cited limitation to making healthy changes in the cafeteria was perceived lack of demand for healthy foods/customer support.

Characteristics, nutrition knowledge, practices, and attitudes of hospital cafeteria managers vary. Communication with consumers and education of staff who lack training and experience in nutrition may be important focus areas for hospitals looking to improve their food environment.