Potential to promote healthy eating in Baltic workplaces

The purpose of this paper is to define the potential to promote healthy nutrition in workplaces in the Baltic States and to provide the strategic structure for health promotion at national level.

A survey, using the telephone questionnaire method, was conducted among the adult population in the three Baltic countries in 2007, to compare the general eating habits of the residents in those states. The sample for the survey was random, with 500 (or slightly more) consumers between the ages of 15 and 74 in all three countries surveyed.

The survey showed that eating habits in Estonia differ from other Baltic countries. Estonians are the most urban consumers, who eat their lunch outside of the home; they use a broader selection of ready‐to‐eat meals than Latvians and Lithuanians. The lunch choice made by Estonians is therefore more influenced by what is offered in their workplaces. Estonian National Strategy for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and Estonian health are the main national public health policy documents. The development of the Network for Workplace Health Promotion is one of the actions carried out within above‐mentioned strategies, as are county‐based health councils, responsible for management and coordination of implementation of the strategies at local level, including cooperation with local workplaces.

The paper presents useful, practical examples of where changes in the composition of food in catering have improved not only workers' eating habits, but also their satisfaction and commitment to work. There have been positive changes in CVD mortality in Estonia. Still, the mortality rate in Baltic countries is considerably higher compared to the other EU countries and this calls for the direction of the health promotion activities in workplaces in other Baltic States also.