Public Health and Nutrition

Biography

Biography: João PM Lima

Abstract

Health promotion activities in the workplace may be more effective and targeted if the key drivers and motivations of food consumption are identified. This work aims to identify health promotion strategies at the workplace pointed out as more interesting by employees of a faculty of the University of Porto. Data was obtained through the application of a self-administrated questionnaire. There were assessed 49 individuals, either academic and non-academic workers. The majority of respondents classified as extremely interesting the 'free access to water', 'free distribution of fruit in the workplace' and 'healthy choices at meals available in the restaurant/bar'. More than 20% of employees identified the strategies 'cooking classes', 'access to health promotion materials such as leaflets and posters that promote healthy eating', 'access to messages about healthy eating weekly via email and/or bulletin boards' and 'weight management programs' as extremely uninteresting or uninteresting. Differences were found according to type of activity and academic degree concerning the interest in 'cooking classes' and 'training, lectures and workshops about healthy eating for health professionals such as nutritionists or dietitians'. 'Access to messages about healthy eating weekly via email and/or bulletin boards' was also influenced by respondents' type of activity. This work shows that strategies related to food availability were considered by respondents as the most interesting in opposite to strategies related to nutrition literacy that seem to be considered uninteresting. Differences found according to the type of activity and academic degree on interest in strategies point to the need of adapting specific interventions to different target groups.