P177 Military Dining Facility Staff Perspectives on the Implementation Barriers and Facilitators of Go for Green 2.0, a Department of Defense Nutrition Initiative

Abstract

Background In an effort to optimize performance, readiness, and health of military service members, the Department of Defense (DoD) created a performance nutrition initiative, Go for Green (G4G). Challenges led to program revision and development of G4G 2.0, however successful implementation has yet to be accomplished. Objective The purpose of this study was to improve the G4G 2.0 program framework by informing and developing best practices through explication of dining facility (DFAC) staff perspectives. Study Design, Settings, Participants Focus groups were conducted in two phases (May 2017 to February 2018) with supervisors and staff of Wolf DFAC, at Fort Carson, Colorado prior to G4G 2.0 implementation. Participants were recruited by purposive sampling (n = 89). Focus groups were audio recorded to capture all verbal responses, transcribed verbatim, and lasted an average of 31 minutes (range 24 to 58 minutes). Measurable Outcome/Analysis Focus group transcripts of DFAC staff perspectives were reviewed via qualitative content analysis using an exploratory, inductive approach to elucidate emergent themes from the data. Results DFAC staff perspectives of barriers to G4G implementation included lack of, or ineffective training, inconsistent preparation of food items, fidelity issues, staff perceptions of patron preferences, lack of patron familiarity to new G4G food items and lack of buy-in. Implementation facilitators included training, G4G team site visits, and patron exposure to G4G menu items. Staff suggestions for G4G implementation and program improvement included training on preparation methods, having a flexible implementation timeline, up front provision of all G4G materials, for the G4G team to conduct a needs assessment, and G4G and nutrition education and awareness outside the DFAC. Conclusion Results demonstrated that barriers to G4G 2.0 implementation outweighed facilitators, and supported the idea that there may be more viable, less time and work-intensive methods to promote healthier food selection by patrons. Incorporating methods to improve patron selection of healthful items in DFACs could play an instrumental role in improving Service Member health, thereby enhancing readiness to meet mission requirements. Funding United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine.