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Program improves heart-healthy restaurant offerings in rural areas
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Restaurants that participated in a community-wide program designed to improve the heart-healthiness of rural restaurant food choices were more likely to implement healthy practices and provide healthier food and beverage options, according to results published in Public Health Nutrition.
The program, which was conducted as part of the Hearts Beat Back: The Heart of New Ulm Project, showed that of the restaurants that participated in rural Minnesota, there was an increase in availability of fruit, vegetables and grains as well as a reduction in portion size.
“In a community where obesity and low fruit and vegetable consumption have been identified as problems, we were very pleased to see an increase in the number of restaurants that offer fruit and vegetables and smaller portions,” Rebecca Lindberg, MPH, RD, director of population health from the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, said in a press release. “This represents a significant improvement in the food environment of this rural community.”
To implement and study the effect of a program designed to improve the restaurant food environment in rural communities, Lindberg and colleagues conducted a baseline assessment of 32 restaurants in rural Minnesota, focusing on 16 healthy practices from the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for Restaurants.
According to the study, each participating restaurant received consultation from dietitians, staff training and promotion of the restaurant.
Each participating restaurant received an assessment 1 and 5 years after baseline.
The results of the study show that 38% of the restaurants participated in the program, and at baseline there was a bronze-level achievement (adoption of six of the 16 healthy practices) from 22% of participating restaurants.
At follow-up, 38% of restaurants achieved bronze level, with most of the improvement coming from restaurants participating in the program which were independently owned.
The most improved healthy practice among all community restaurants was the availability of nonfried vegetables (63-84%), fruits (41-53%), smaller portions and whole grains.
“While chain restaurants were more likely to have sufficient healthy practices in place to meet one of the program levels at baseline, independent restaurants were more likely to both join our program and to make changes,” Lindberg said. “At the end of the follow-up period, there was no change in the proportion of chain restaurants meeting a level, while the proportion of independent restaurants meeting a level had more than doubled.” – by Dave Quaile
Disclosure s : The study was funded by a grant from the UnitedHealth Group and through general funding for the Heart of New Ulm Project provided by Allina Health. Lindberg reports no relevant financial disclosures. Three other authors report being employed by Allina Health.
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