TY - JOUR

T1 - Do recommendations for institutional food service result in better food service? A study of compliance in Danish hospitals and nursing homes from 1995 to 2002-2003

AU - Mikkelsen, B. E.

AU - Beck, A. M.

AU - Lassen, A.

N1 - Funding Information: Substantial efforts have therefore been invested in attempts to improve the situation, and a number of different development projects and initiatives targeted nutrition at hospital and nursing homes have been initiated in different countries. In Denmark, a number of interventions have been carried out primarily in hospitals (Kondrup et al., 1998; Kondrup, 2001; Beck et al., 2002; Almdal et al., 2003; Beck and Ovesen, 2004; Johansen et al., 2004; Lassen et al., 2004, 2006). These interventions have been supported by an action plan for Better Hospital Meals from The Ministry of Food, Fisheries and Agriculture and The Ministry of Health as well as with funds from the Ministry of Health and the Danish Health Technology Assessment at the National Board of Health. In nursing homes, only a few interventions have been carried out (Beck et al., 2002; Beck and Ovesen, 2004). However, other initiatives have been carried out in nursing homes within the framework of Better Meals for the Elderly action plan launched jointly by The Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Food, Fisheries and Agriculture.

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

N2 - Background: Since 1995, significant efforts by authorities and researchers have been directed towards addressing the nutritional problems in Danish hospitals and nursing homes. Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the increased focus on nutritional problems in patients and nursing home residents has resulted in measurable progress. Design: A questionnaire-based study was carried out among foodservice managers in Danish hospitals (n = 96) and nursing homes (n = 898) in 1995 and 2002/3 (n = 90) and (n = 682), respectively. The study used compliance with selected issues in the official Danish recommendations for institutional food service as an indicator for progress. The issues included: using nutrient calculated recipes/menus, offering menu choice options, using feedback routines on acceptability of menus, maintaining nutritional steering committees, employing food and nutrition contact persons, employing official recommendations and offering choice between three different menu energy levels. Results: Hospitals had a higher compliance compared to nursing homes. In 1995, this was the case for all questions asked and differences were statistically significant. Also in 2002/3, hospitals had a higher compliance, except in the case of established feedback routines. Differences were statistically significant. The results indicate that nutritional care is higher on the agenda in hospital, than in nursing homes. However, very little progress can be seen in compliance when results are analysed over the 8-year period. The only progress for nursing homes was that more homes had implemented feedback routines on acceptability of food service in 2002/3 than in 1995. The difference was statistically significant. For hospitals, however, no progress was found between 1995 and 2002/3. Conclusion: The attempts to improve the nutritional status of hospital patients and nursing home residents seem to have failed. Still, the initiatives taken to improve the situation seem relevant. Especially the nursing homes might benefit from advantage of these experiences.

AB - Background: Since 1995, significant efforts by authorities and researchers have been directed towards addressing the nutritional problems in Danish hospitals and nursing homes. Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the increased focus on nutritional problems in patients and nursing home residents has resulted in measurable progress. Design: A questionnaire-based study was carried out among foodservice managers in Danish hospitals (n = 96) and nursing homes (n = 898) in 1995 and 2002/3 (n = 90) and (n = 682), respectively. The study used compliance with selected issues in the official Danish recommendations for institutional food service as an indicator for progress. The issues included: using nutrient calculated recipes/menus, offering menu choice options, using feedback routines on acceptability of menus, maintaining nutritional steering committees, employing food and nutrition contact persons, employing official recommendations and offering choice between three different menu energy levels. Results: Hospitals had a higher compliance compared to nursing homes. In 1995, this was the case for all questions asked and differences were statistically significant. Also in 2002/3, hospitals had a higher compliance, except in the case of established feedback routines. Differences were statistically significant. The results indicate that nutritional care is higher on the agenda in hospital, than in nursing homes. However, very little progress can be seen in compliance when results are analysed over the 8-year period. The only progress for nursing homes was that more homes had implemented feedback routines on acceptability of food service in 2002/3 than in 1995. The difference was statistically significant. For hospitals, however, no progress was found between 1995 and 2002/3. Conclusion: The attempts to improve the nutritional status of hospital patients and nursing home residents seem to have failed. Still, the initiatives taken to improve the situation seem relevant. Especially the nursing homes might benefit from advantage of these experiences.

U2 - 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602488

DO - 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602488

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 16835596

AN - SCOPUS:33845533221

VL - 61

SP - 129

EP - 134

JO - European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

JF - European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

SN - 0954-3007

ER -