Sociodemographic and work-related variation in employees' lunch eating patterns

Purpose - This study aims to examine the availability of worksite canteens to Finnish employees, and the associations between canteen availability and the employee's sociodemographic background and workplace characteristics. A further aim was to study the employees' lunch place choices according to the sociodemographic factors of the employees and the characteristics of the workplace when a worksite canteen is available. Design/ methodology/ approach - Data were obtained from cross-sectional health surveys among Finnish adults in 2005-2007. A total of 2,659 male and 2,926 female employed Finns - except farmers ranging in age from 19 to 64 were chosen for the analyses from the surveys. The data were analyzed by multiple logistic regression models. Findings - A worksite canteen was available for 70 percent of female and 60 percent of male employees, and more often to employees with higher education and in a higher occupational class and to those working at bigger workplaces. If a canteen was not available, employees mostly ate packed lunches. Roughly 50 percent of those who had a worksite canteen available ate there; employees in a higher occupational class did so more often than the others. Even when a canteen was available, people with lower education or in a lower occupational class preferred packed lunches. Practical implications - The frequency of using worksite canteens could be influenced not only by means related to individual choices, but also by improving the structural conditions at work - like unavailability of worksite canteen - that is found to pose barrier to canteen use. Originality/ value - No previous study of this kind has been done, even though it has been observed that worksite canteen meals are important for the nutrition, health, and productivity of Finnish employees.