Journal
PUBLIC HEALTH NUTRITION
Volume 16, Issue 5, Pages 815-823Publisher
CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1017/S1368980012004818
Keywords
Nutrition guidelines; Childhood obesity; Public health; Corporate profitability; Recreational facilities
Funding
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
- Canadian Federation of University Women
- Women and Children's Health Research Institute/Alberta Diabetes Institute
- Dietitians of Canada
- University of Alberta
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Applied Public Health Chair
- Government of Alberta
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Objective: Little is known about how public entities can partner with industry to achieve public health goals. We investigated industry's perspective of factors that influenced their adoption and implementation of voluntary, government-issued nutrition guidelines (Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth, ANGCY) in recreational facilities. Design: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data were analysed using directed content analysis. Setting: Food services in recreational facilities. Subjects: Seven managers from industry participated; five from companies that had adopted and implemented the ANGCY (adopters) in recreational facilities and two from companies that had not (non-adopters). Results: Industry views nutrition guidelines through the lens of profitability. Non-adopters were unwilling to implement the ANGCY for fear of sacrificing short-term profitability, whereas adopters adhered to them in an attempt to position themselves for long-term profitability. Adopters faced barriers including few resources, no training, complex guidelines, low availability of and demand for ANGCY-compliant products, competitive pressures and substantial declines in revenue. Managers believed widespread voluntary adoption of the ANGCY was unlikely without government incentives and/or a mandate, as the environmental context for voluntary action was poor. All managers supported government-mandated implementation of the ANGCY to level the playing field upon which companies compete. Conclusions: Public-private partnerships in recreational facilities can embrace public health goals in the short term, provided industry perceives potential for long-term financial gain. Widespread uptake of voluntary nutrition guidelines in this setting is unlikely, however, as market mechanisms do not encourage industry to sell and promote healthier options. Government legislation may therefore be warranted.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available