Food Literacy as an Instrument for Health Promotion Among Hospital Workers: The "ABCibi Project"

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Health Education

Background:

• Health literacy (HL) is crucial for health management.
• Food literacy (FL) is a subset of HL focused on healthy eating knowledge.
• Workplace health initiatives can impact employee well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess and enhance the food literacy of hospital workers.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-faceted educational intervention on FL.
• To identify improvements in FL across different employee demographics.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving a survey administered before and after an educational intervention.
• Intervention included nutrition courses, infographics, and canteen service updates.
• Statistical analysis using Kruskal-Wallis, Friedman, and Wilcoxon tests to compare FL scores.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in FL scores were observed in participants who completed both surveys (n=375).
• Overall FL scores increased from 6.2 to 6.9 (p < 0.001).
• Improvements were noted across healthcare workers, administrative staff, all age groups, and varying education levels.

Conclusions:

• A multifactorial intervention effectively enhances food literacy in a hospital setting.
• Workplace food health promotion is vital for improving employee dietary knowledge.
• Targeted interventions can lead to measurable gains in FL across diverse employee groups.