Student Cafeteria Research Articles

A field assessment of floor slipperiness in a student cafeteria

Investigation of floor slipperiness is critical in studying the risk of slips and falls. This research conducted friction measurements and employee survey on floor slipperiness in a student cafeteria in a university in China in order to study the correlation between the two types of floor slipperiness measure. It was found that the fryer area in kitchen 1 and the meat defrost sink in kitchen 2 had significantly the lowest coefficient of friction (COF) values among all areas in the same kitchen. The results showed that the levels of friction on the floors in different areas in each kitchen were significantly different. Employee perceptions of floor slipperiness among areas were also significantly different. The level of friction and employee perception of floor slipperiness was highly correlated (ρ = 0.87). This implies a good agreement between the two measures. A linear regression model was established to describe the relationship between the perceived floor slipperiness and the measured COF. The model was significant at p < 0.0001 with an R 2 of 0.59.

The Use of Point-of-Sale Machines in School Cafeterias as a Method of Parental Influence Over Child Lunch Food Choices

Computerized point-of-sale (POS) machine software that allows parents to place restrictions on their child's school meal accounts is available. Parents could restrict specific foods (eg, chips), identify specific days the child can purchase extra foods, or set monetary limits. This descriptive study examines the use of parental restrictions on student cafeteria POS accounts in a convenience sample of 2 school districts. POS alerts, with student gender, grade, ethnicity, and students' free or reduced-price meal eligibility, were obtained from 2 school food service departments for the 2007-2008 school year. The alerts were coded into 5 categories: financial, medical, restrictions, snacks OK, and extras OK. The distribution of alerts by district, students, and demographics was then tabulated. District A (4839 students) had more students with alerts (n = 789, 16%) than District B (8510 students; n = 217, 2.6%), and 94 District A students had a second alert. District A parents had to provide written permission for their child to purchase snacks (n = 654, 13.5%) and extra meal items (n = 113, 2.3%). Most alerts were for full-pay students in both districts (74% and 66%) and varied by demographics of the students. Few parents actually used this system to limit student purchases of foods outside the school meal. Future studies should investigate the influence of these restrictions on student food choices.

Health motivation and product design determine consumers’ visual attention to nutrition information on food products

In the present study we investigated consumers' visual attention to nutrition information on food products using an indirect instrument, an eye tracker. In addition, we looked at whether people with a health motivation focus on nutrition information on food products more than people with a taste motivation. Respondents were instructed to choose one of five cereals for either the kindergarten (health motivation) or the student cafeteria (taste motivation). The eye tracker measured their visual attention during this task. Then respondents completed a short questionnaire. Laboratory of the ETH Zurich, Switzerland. Videos and questionnaires from thirty-two students (seventeen males; mean age 24.91 years) were analysed. Respondents with a health motivation viewed the nutrition information on the food products for longer and more often than respondents with a taste motivation. Health motivation also seemed to stimulate deeper processing of the nutrition information. The student cafeteria group focused primarily on the other information and did this for longer and more often than the health motivation group. Additionally, the package design affected participants' nutrition information search. Two factors appear to influence whether people pay attention to nutrition information on food products: their motivation and the product's design. If the package design does not sufficiently facilitate the localization of nutrition information, health motivation can stimulate consumers to look for nutrition information so that they may make a more deliberate food choice.

Demonstrations of the influence of the eating environment on food acceptance

In two independent demonstrations, pre-prepared food was served in different environments: first, identical prepared meals were served in both a training restaurant and in a student cafeteria; second, a prepared main dish was served in a food science laboratory class, and as part of an entire meal in two student cafeterias and in a training restaurant. In the training restaurants and in the student cafeterias, people selected and paid for their meals. The acceptability ratings of the food served varied across the three different environments in the following order: restaurant>laboratory>cafeteria. Differences in acceptance were attributed to contextual effects and the expectations they produce, actual product differences, and a number of possible covariates. Ratings of sensory attributes tended to mirror the acceptability effects. The difficulty of comparing contexts within actual food service systems is discussed.

The Effect of Environmental Context in Eating Places On Students' Intimacy and Social Interaction

The reported study is based on the assumptions that intimacy is a concept that is interconnected with managing interactions within our social environment, and that different types of environmental contexts promote different levels of group intimacy and social interaction. To investigate these assumptions, the reported study tested the effect of both environmental structure (i.e., design and arrangement of interior space), and seating location (near entrance, next to window, in the middle and at the corner) on both group intimacy and social interaction. The study was conducted in two different eating environments (university student cafeteria, and an off campus restaurant), the customers of which, were mostly students. The results indicated the effect of environmental context on both group intimacy and social interaction. Moreover, results revealed a positive correlation between intimacy and social interaction, which was conditioned by the environmental context.

The Effect of Music on Atmosphere and Purchase Intentions in a Cafeteria1

This exploratory study investigates the effect of music on the perceived characteristics of a commercial listening environment and on customers' purchase intentions therein. Three musical styles and also no music were played in a student cafeteria over the course of 4 days. Subjects' responses to a questionnaire indicated that different musical styles had different effects on the perceived characteristics of the cafeteria, and that classical music was associated with subjects being prepared to pay the most for food items on sale therein. There was also some indication that classical and pop music might have increased actual sales in the cafeteria, as compared with easy listening and silence. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for both commercial practice and our theoretical understanding of music and consumer behavior.

Analysis of the Foods Offered for Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarians and Vegans in a University's Student Cafeteria

LEARNING OUTCOME: To determine if the lacto-ovo-vegetarians and vegans are receiving a healthy choice of foods. Vegetarianism among college students is rapidly growing causing educational institutions to adapt their meal plans to meet the needs of this population. Presently, nine out often colleges and universities offer vegetarian foods at each meal. The purpose of this study is to determine if the lacto-ovo-vegetarians (LOV) and vegans (V) eating in a University's student cafeteria are receiving a healthy choice of foods. A seven day nutrient analysis of foods offered at breakfast, lunch, and dinner was conducted. Daily menus for LOV and V were formulated and compared to the posted schedule of meals. Adequacy, balance, calorie control, moderation, and variety were assessed. Vegetarian risk nutrient - iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, and protein - plus fat and energy were analyzed using Nutrition IV software. Levels were considered adequate when at 90–100% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) or the Dietary Recommendations. Adequacy, balance, calorie control, moderation, and variety were not available in LOV or V menus. Iron in the LOV menu was the only nutrient provided at an adequate level (94%). Protein and vitamin B12 levels were excessive (152%, 155%) and calcium and vitamin D were inadequate in the LOV menu (87%, 27%). Vegan menus were not regularly offered and were inadequate in all nutrients (≺50%). In both menus the percentage of fat calories was high (LOV 45%. V 50%). Additional findings revealed excessive levels of cholesterol (214%). There was also a large amount of substitution in the meal plan. Based on the results of this study, the LOV and V eating in a University cafeteria may not be receiving a healthy choice of foods. More emphasis on vegetarian meal planning in University settings may be necessary to meet the needs of this population.

Paradoxical effect of a nutrition labelling scheme in a student cafeteria

The study examined the influence of nutrition information on nutrient intakes at lunch in a college cafeteria, in relation to selected subject characteristics. Experimental subjects (EXP, n=65) ate all mid-day meals in a student cafeteria over two weeks with identical meal cycles. Information on the energy and fat content of food items was displayed in the cafeteria in week two. On completion of the study, subjects completed questionnaires on selected beliefs and attitudes, and eating restraint. The main outcome measures of the study were energy and macronutrient intakes of meals in week one vs. week two. Unexpectedly, EXP subjects had significantly increased total energy, grams fat, grams carbohydrate and decreased grams protein and % energy from protein in week two vs. week one. Subsequent analyses indicate that these results were largely due to changes in the eating behaviour of males and less restrained eaters. Provision of nutrition labels therefore did not have a positive effect on food choices and, for certain subgroups, it had a negative effect. These results point to the importance of assessing the motivational characteristics of a consumer population in the development of nutrition education programs.

Don't Wait until You Get Whacked on the Knees: An Appreciation for Reflexive Management

Excerpt] An interesting question was recently posed by a guest speaker to undergraduate students in a strategic management course: “If you saw trash on the floor of your student cafeteria and lounge, would you bend down to pick it up? If you don't see the trash now, why should I trust that you will begin to see it when it is in my hotel cafeteria or lobby?”

Modelling meal acceptability in a free choice environment

The difficulties of predicting overall meal acceptability when subjects have complete freedom to select from a wide range of possible foods are discussed, and some solutions offered in the context of a study conducted in a student cafeteria. We identified several subgroups in the data corresponding to different types of meals and modelled these separately. Tree diagrams were found to be a useful aid to identifying subgroups and provided a quick summary of the numbers of subjects selecting specific meal combinations. Some of the problems of using multiple linear regression to model overall acceptability are discussed, particularly the related problems of varied meal sizes and missing values inherent in a free selection environment.

Effect of Effort on Meal Selection and Meal Acceptability in a Student Cafeteria

Past laboratory and field studies show that the effort necessary to obtain food acts as a determinant of food selection and consumption. Two studies examined the impact of increasing the effort needed to obtain candy or potato chips on selection in a normal lunch setting. In the first study, food selection, acceptance and intake were obtained during the first week baseline and under the effort manipulation during the second week. With increased effort, candy selection dropped dramatically in week 2. Subjects substituted items from the dessert, fruit and accessory food groups. In the second study, food selection and acceptance were measured during a 2-week baseline, a 3-week effort period, and a 3-week recovery period. With increased effort, potato chip selection dropped dramatically and only partially recovered in the last phase. Subjects substituted items from the starch food group. These results demonstrate that changes in the effort needed to obtain food can have a nutritional impact in an actual eating situation and could be an important part of a healthy eating strategy.

Coffee Consumption in Relation to Smoking Behavior

Smokers and nonsmokers, each group consisting of 25 men and women, were observed an average of 9.16 min. while engaging in coffee-drinking behavior at the student union cafeteria. Data were tabulated in sips per minute. Smokers sipped coffee significantly less often than nonsmokers. Further, men sipped coffee markedly less frequently than women. Statistical analysis indicated that the major difference resulted from men smokers who sipped coffee significantly less frequently than the other groups.

Improving Cafeteria Patrons' Waste Disposal

This study took place in a University student cafeteria where financial restrictions meant customers were expected to clear their own tables. Initial low rates of appropriate waste disposal (mean = 13%) meant the system was ineffective. An ABACAC design was used where A was baseline, B the provision of more disposal areas, and C the provision of more disposal areas paired with 14 attractive waste disposal poster prompts. These interventions achieved higher levels of litter disposal with a mean of 29% for condition B and a mean of 46% for condition C, including follow-up. The pairing of the two methods was found more effective than increasing receptacles alone. It also proved cost efficient, yielding an estimated savings of $230 in the first year and $775 in subsequent years.

Make Policy—Not Coffee

Many college programs feature courses on women in government which rely on visiting politicians as guest lecturers on a one-shot basis. The unique feature of the Douglass program was that the two politicians-in-residence who shared teaching assignments were available to students informally at all times; they lived in a campus dormitory and took their meals at a student cafeteria. Students rarely come into contact with women in elective office because women have always been underrepresented in public life, says Ruth Mandel, director of the Center for the American Woman and Politics, which sponsored the course. Ms. Louise Conner predicts an increase in the number of women seeking political power. She feels a responsibility to teach them the political skills they will need to get away from stamp licking and envelope stuffing and into policy making. The Visiting Program in Practical Politics was aimed at raising the political consciousness of women.