Khalafehnilsaz Mahnaz, Ramezankhani Ali, Rahnama Rozina
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Department of Elderly Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Branch, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
J Educ Health Promot. 2024 Aug 29;13:320. doi: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1132_23. eCollection 2024.
The role of health-related behaviors, particularly eating behavior, in the health of middle-aged individuals in the workplace is crucial. This qualitative study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and barriers to healthy eating behaviors in the industrial workplace from the perspectives of middle-aged workers and employers.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants, including 5 workers aged 35 to 59 years, 3 nutrition experts, 2 health, safety and environment (HSE) experts, and 5 employers from industrial workplaces in Tehran, Iran. Purposeful sampling was used to select participants who could provide meaningful insights into the research question. The data were analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman approach with MAXQDA software.
The study revealed three main themes that hindered healthy eating behaviors in the workplace: (i) the absence of organizational structures for well-being and health, including sub-themes such as the lack of health-oriented organizational policies, inaccessibility to healthy nutritional resources, and restrictive rules, (ii) the pressure of organizational social norms, including sub-themes such as the impact of friendship networks and colleagues, and the effect of workplace culture, and (iii) the lack of a supportive learning environment for healthy behavior, including sub-themes such as the impact of poor interactions and the absence of supportive training.
The findings highlight the need for workplace health programs that address the identified challenges and promote healthy eating behaviors among middle-aged workers. Implementing health-focused policies and fostering a workplace environment that encourages nutritious food choices can enhance the overall health and well-being of workers and potentially lead to healthy aging in the future.
健康相关行为，尤其是饮食行为，对职场中年人的健康至关重要。本定性研究旨在从中年工人和雇主的角度，更深入地了解工业职场中健康饮食行为面临的挑战和障碍。
对15名参与者进行了半结构化访谈，其中包括5名年龄在35至59岁之间的工人、3名营养专家、2名健康、安全与环境（HSE）专家以及5名来自伊朗德黑兰工业职场的雇主。采用目的抽样法选择能够对研究问题提供有意义见解的参与者。使用格兰海姆和伦德曼方法以及MAXQDA软件对数据进行分析。
研究揭示了阻碍职场健康饮食行为的三个主要主题：（i）缺乏促进福祉和健康的组织结构，包括缺乏以健康为导向的组织政策、难以获取健康营养资源以及限制性规定等子主题；（ii）组织社会规范的压力，包括友谊网络和同事的影响以及职场文化的作用等子主题；（iii）缺乏支持健康行为的学习环境，包括不良互动的影响以及缺乏支持性培训等子主题。
研究结果凸显了开展职场健康项目的必要性，这些项目应应对已确定的挑战，并促进中年工人的健康饮食行为。实施以健康为重点的政策并营造鼓励选择营养食品的职场环境，可提高工人的整体健康和福祉，并可能在未来促进健康老龄化。
