Factors Influencing Lunchtime Food Choices Among Working Americans

Abstract

There is growing interest in the usefulness of the workplace as a site for promotion of healthful food choices. The authors therefore analyzed data of U.S. adults ( N = 1,918) who reported working outside the home and eating lunch. The majority (84.0%) of workers had a break room. About one half (54.0%) purchased lunch ≥ 2 times/week, with higher percentages for males, Blacks, younger (age 18-34 years) versus older adults (age 55 years or older), and obese versus normal-weight persons. The most important lunch food choice value was convenience (34.3%), followed by taste (27.8%), cost (20.8%), and health (17.1%). The typical source for purchasing lunch was a fast-food restaurant (43.4%), followed by on-site cafeteria/snack shop (25.3%), full-service restaurant (16.9%), supermarket (5.2%), vending machine (4.4%), and convenience store (4.0%); younger adults and those less educated relied more on fast-food places. This study identifies individual factors and values that may influence future dietary health initiatives in the work site.