Hospital healthy cafeteria initiatives: a systematic review of consumer behaviour related studies

Abstract

Unhealthy food has become a concerning issue in the context of hospital cafeterias. Cafeterias in hospitals have been value-added with healthy menu offerings and safe eating practices to promote healthy eating to customers. Research in food service operation precisely in hospital healthy cafeterias is abundant. However, the scope of the study, study design and study setting varied. This paper aimed to present a systematic review of hospital healthy cafeteria initiatives-based research within the context of consumer behaviour. Published research between the year 2000 through 2020, conducted within the hospital cafeteria was assessed. The main criteria of selection were the existence of a comprehensive description of the instrument, questionnaire, or interviews used to gather the relevant data. Initial 53 articles underwent careful evaluation independently to ensure that they were empirical research carried out within the context of healthy cafeterias at hospitals. As a result, 29 articles were reviewed. The scope of the study includes consumer behaviour, the effect of promotion on sales in healthy cafeterias, management and service personnel, the audit of the compliance of healthy cafeterias and the effects of food category or nutrition labelling intervention. Quantitative research design has been used in most research compared to qualitative and mixed methods and the subject of studies involved hospital staff, visitors and food service managers. The findings of this review implied that healthy cafeteria initiatives have been introduced in the hospital food service. But more consumer behaviour research, continuous food service staff training, strategic promotion and intervention programs for healthy menus, eating habits and lifestyles could be implemented to make hospital healthy cafeterias successful.