What, How and Where They Eat: Results from a Portuguese company’s Employees

Background The workplace is recognized by the World Health Organization as suitable for health promotion, as it can contribute to the reduction of harmful lifestyles, promoting the development of enterprises and, in turn, economic growth. The purpose of this study was to characterize eating habits and determinants of food consumption from a Portuguese company of employees. Methods: To characterize the nutritional and general health status of the employees, questionnaires previously developed and used in Portuguese employees were adapted and applied. Questionnaires include multiple choice and short answers to obtain socioeconomic, food habits and health data, namely the prevalence of chronic diseases. Statistical analysis was carried out, which allowed the study of the sample with detail, drawing some conclusions and the interconnection of different factors, such as type of food consumed for snacks, Body Mass Index (BMI), gender, and lunch place. Results: It was verified that some of our results did not resemble those presented in available scientific literature, such as the relationship between academic qualifications and BMI. However, were obtained some interesting and enlightening results, such as the main conditioners of the lunch place. Conclusions: The results show the need for greater investment in this area by companies’ managers, both nationally and internationally, since they impact employees’ health and, consequently, their productivity.