Background

Higher levels of intrinsic religiosity or adherence to Islamic ethics do not appear to associate with negative attitudes toward deceased organ donation. Negative religious coping appears, however, to be related to lower rates of believing deceased organ donation to be justified. Future studies with larger samples that incorporate additional measures of religiosity can further clarify relationships between religiosity and organ donation attitude among Muslim communities.

Background-Nutrition interventions are a common component of worksite wellness programs and have been recognized as an effective strategy to change employee dietary behaviors. However, little is known about worksite food behaviors or the foods that are obtained at workplaces at the national level. Objective-The aims were to examine the frequency of obtaining foods at work among employed US adults and the amount of money spent obtaining them, determine the foods most commonly obtained at work, and assess the dietary quality of these foods. Design-This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from the USDA Food Acquisition and Purchasing Survey (FoodAPS), a nationally representative household survey conducted from April 2012 through January 2013 on food purchases and acquisitions during a seven-day study period. Participants-The study included 5222 employed adult Americans. Main outcome measures-The study assessed the prevalence of obtaining any foods at work overall and according to sociodemographic subgroups, number of acquisitions and calories obtained, most commonly obtained foods and leading food sources of calories, and HEI-2010 scores that represent dietary quality. Statistical analyses performed-Prevalence estimates of obtaining ≥1 foods at work were compared according to sociodemographic characteristic using chi-square tests. Results-Nearly a quarter (23.4%) of working adults obtained foods at work during the week and the foods they obtained averaged 1292 kcal per person/week. The leading food types obtained included foods typically high in solid fat, added sugars, or sodium, such as pizza, soft drinks, cookies/brownies, cakes and pies, and candy. HEI scores suggest that work foods are high in empty calories, sodium, and refined grains and low in whole grains and fruit.

IntroductionThe Institute of Medicine and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended that government agencies use nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold and provided at their facilities. In this study, we examine written nutrition standards for foods sold or served in local government buildings or worksites among US municipalities.MethodsWe used data from a 2014 national survey of 1,945 municipal governments serving populations of 1,000 or more to assess the presence of written nutrition standards, the food groups or nutrients addressed by standards, and the populations served by facilities where standards are applied. The prevalence of standards was estimated by municipality population size, rural–urban status, census region, poverty prevalence, education level, and racial/ethnic composition.ResultsOverall, 3.2% of US municipalities reported nutrition standards with greater prevalence observed among large municipalities (12.8% of municipalities with ≥50,000 people vs 2.2% of municipalities with <2,500 people, P < .001). Prevalence differed by region, and standards were most common in the West (6.6%) and least common in the Midwest (2.0%, P = .003).The most common nutrition topics addressed in standards were offering low-calorie beverages, fruits and vegetables, and free drinking water. Most standards applied to facilities serving government employees (67%) or the general public (66%), with fewer serving institutionalized populations (23%).ConclusionFew municipal governments reported having written nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold in their facilities in 2014. Implementing nutrition standards for foods sold or served by local governments is a strategy for increasing access to healthier foods and beverages among municipal employees and local residents.

The FSG policies proposed or adopted through 2014 that intended to improve the food and beverage environment on state government property vary considerably in their content. This analysis offers baseline data on the FSG landscape and information for future FSG policy assessments.

Purpose: As part of wellness efforts, employers may seek to improve the nutritional quality of foods offered and consumed in cafeterias and vending machines. However, little is known about who consumes food from these venues and the types and dietary quality of the foods consumed.

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Purpose: Local governments can implement food service guideline (FSG) policies, which, in large cities, may reach millions of people. This study identified FSG policies among the 20 largest US cities and analyzed them for key FSG policy attributes. Design: Quantitative research. Setting: Local government facilities. Participants: Twenty largest US cities. Measures: Frequency of FSG policies and percent alignment to tool. Analysis: Using municipal legal code libraries and other data sources, FSG policies enacted as of December 31, 2016, were identified. Full-text reviews were conducted of identified policies to determine whether they met inclusion criteria. Included policies were analyzed for key policy attributes specific to nutrition, behavioral design, implementation, and facility efficiency. Results: Searches identified 469 potential FSG policies, of which 6 policies across 5 cities met inclusion criteria. Five policies met a majority of criteria assessed by the classification tool. Overall alignment to the tool ranged from 17% to 88%. Of the 6 policies, 5 met a majority of the nutrition attributes and 5 met at least 50% of attributes associated with implementation. No policies met the attributes associated with facility efficiency. Conclusion: The FSG policies were identified in 5 of the 20 US cities. Policy alignment was high for nutrition and implementation attributes. This analysis suggests that when cities adopt FSG policies, many develop policies that align with key policy attributes. These policies can serve as models for other jurisdictions to create healthier food access through FSGs.