This study aimed to objectively evaluate the diet consumed in a workplace cafeteria to group Japanese workers according to vegetables and salt intake and estimate the association of these groups with changes in cardiometabolic measurements.

This longitudinal observational study estimated the food and nutrient intake of Japanese workers from data recorded in the cafeteria system of their workplace. The primary outcomes included cardiometabolic measures obtained via regular health check-ups conducted at the workplace. The participants were divided into four groups according to high or low vegetables and salt intake based on their respective medians, and the association of each group with cardiometabolic measurement changes was estimated using robust regression with MM-estimation.

A Japanese automobile manufacturing factory.

The study included 1140 men and women workers with available cafeteria and health check-up data.

An inverse marginal association was observed between changes in TAG levels (mmol/L) and high vegetables and low salt intake (β: –0·11, 95 % CI: –0·23, 0·01, P: 0·065) with reference to low vegetables and high salt intake. This association was stronger in participants who used the cafeteria more frequently (>=71 d; β: –0·15, 95 % CI: –0·29, –0·02, P: 0·027).

The participants in the higher vegetables and lower salt intake group were more likely to exhibit decreased TAG levels. These findings encourage using workplace cafeteria meals to promote the health of workers.

The aim of this study was to examine whether there are associations between working conditions and the use of staff canteen or packed meals among Finnish employees.

Data were obtained from cross-sectional surveys on working conditions, conducted triennially (1997, 2000, 2003) since 1997.

In each survey, the subjects were 25–64-year-old employed Finnish employees: 3096 men and 3273 women.

Employees at large workplaces used canteens far more often than those at smaller workplaces. Working conditions played a different role in canteen use at small and large workplaces, as well as among the different sexes. At small workplaces, physically demanding jobs held by female employees and low job control encouraged employees to use the canteen. On the other hand, at large workplaces, low social support at work encouraged the use of canteens among men whereas high mental strain at work meant they used the canteen less. Among women, eating packed meals was not related to working conditions, but among men, low social support and high mental strain at work were associated with more frequent use of packed meals.

The use of a staff canteen is largely determined by the size of the workplace and by employee education. The underlying factor could be the availability of canteens, a question which must be confirmed in further studies, since well-planned mass catering at workplaces has major effects on public health, well-being and the nutrition education of employees.