Improving Eating Habits at the Office: An Umbrella Review of Nutritional Interventions

Nutrients. 2023 Dec 12;15(24):5072. doi: 10.3390/nu15245072.

Abstract

(1) Workplace nutrition interventions have garnered attention as a pivotal component of employee well-being and organisational productivity. However, the effectiveness of various intervention types remains inconclusive. This review aims to systematically evaluate the efficacy of cognitive, behavioural, and mixed nutrition interventions in the workplace, considering the nuances of intervention design, setting, and target demographics. (2) A comprehensive umbrella review was conducted, categorising the existing literature into person-oriented and environmental strategies. This review was prepared in line with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for umbrella reviews and the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses reporting standard. (3) The analysis revealed a lack of definitive evidence supporting the universal effectiveness of any single intervention type. Nonetheless, behavioural and mixed interventions demonstrated more favourable outcomes as compared to purely cognitive strategies. Factors such as intervention design, workplace setting, and target group characteristics were identified as significant determinants of the intervention success. (4) The review emphasises the imperative for additional investigations that utilise evidence-based approaches to formulate sound guidelines for efficacious nutrition interventions in occupational settings. This review functions as a foundational framework for guiding both scholarly research and the pragmatic execution of nutrition programs in the workplace.

Keywords: behavioural interventions; cognitive interventions; employee well-being; organisational productivity; workplace nutrition.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Feeding Behavior
  • Humans
  • Nutritional Status*
  • Workplace* / psychology

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.