Frequent use of staff canteens is associated with unhealthy dietary habits and obesity in a Norwegian adult population

Abstract

Objective: To explore socio-economic differences in use of staff canteens and whether frequent use of staff canteens is associated with different food patterns and obesity. Design: Cross-sectional study using three self-administered questionnaires, two of them including food frequency questions. Factor analysis was used to explore food patterns. Setting: Oslo, Norway, 2000-2001. Subjects: In total 8943 adult, working Oslo citizens. Results: Frequent ($3 times/week) use of staff canteens was most likely among men, younger workers and those in the highest education and income groups. However, after adjustment for demographic, socio-economic and lifestyle factors, those with highest education were least likely to use staff canteens frequently. Frequent eating in staff canteens was positively associated with a Western food pattern (based on fat-rich food, fast food and red meat) and inversely associated with a traditional food pattern (based on boiled potatoes and gravy, and less rice, pasta and oil) in multivariate analyses. Unadjusted, frequent eating in staff canteens was also inversely associated with a prudent food pattern (based on fruit, vegetables, fish, legumes and oil). The likelihood of being obese (BMI $ 30 kg/m 2 ) increased significantly with frequent eating in staff canteens, also when adjusted for demographic and socio-economic variables. Adjustment for the food patterns attenuated this relationship, but it was still significant. Conclusions: Frequent eating in staff canteens was negatively related to socioeconomic position and positively associated with unhealthy dietary habits. This partly explained higher odds for obesity among frequent users of staff canteens. Future research should assess the availability and food options of staff canteens.

Dietary patterns and whole grain cereals in the Scandinavian countries – differences and similarities. The HELGA project

“…It also supports to some extent results shown in country-specific studies (4)(5)(6)(7)(8) . A traditional pattern found by factor analysis in The Oslo Health Study (5) corresponds to a fish pattern we found when we tried out a four-factor solution for Norway, and it also corresponds to the 'traditional fish eaters' pattern formerly found in the present Norwegian cohort (7) . The Norwegian cohort was previously used for pattern analysis; however with a different approach and with different variables involved.…”

“…Several computer-driven (a posteriori) studies from the Scandinavian countries have identified dietary patterns by use of factor or cluster analysis, and some of them have reported country-specific or traditional patterns (4)(5)(6)(7)(8) . However, to our knowledge no studies have looked at patterns in the Scandinavian countries in a combined way.…”

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