Abstract
Poor diet is the leading cause of mortality in the U.S. due to the direct relationship with diet-related chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) which disproportionally affects underserved communities and exacerbates U.S. health disparities. 1,2,3 The U.S greatly needs effective, evidence-based policy solutions to significantly improve nutrition and foster an equitable and sustainable food system to improve health and reduce diet related chronic disease.4 Approximately half of nurses in the United States have poor diet according to a 2018 systematic review.5 Healthy nutrition policy solutions should be implemented in the nursing workplace to enhance their health, professional wellbeing and to better support the largest healthcare profession vital to the welfare of society.6 Nurses often place patient wellbeing before their own, making it paramount for nurses to have easy and abundant access to the tools helping to maintain and enhance their health when encountering barriers such as shiftwork, exhaustion and burnout.7 Targeting healthy workplace diet options to support nurse wellness can help reduce modifiable risk factors and provide health benefits to nurses, patients and families.8,9
A policy analysis was conducted using the Centers for Disease Policy Analytical Framework.10 Policy recommendations to directly address high rates of diet-related chronic disease were generated. Four strategic areas that can be implemented into U.S. nursing work environments and staff educational strategies to support nurse professional wellbeing include:
1) reducing high sugar consumption by taxing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs);
2) implementing increased fruit and vegetable diet options and reducing costs of healthy food prices in the nursing workplace;
3) reducing levels of ultra-processed foods by replacing with healthy and sustainable food purchasing options that are more widely available throughout the 24-hour shifts;
4) considering ‘food is medicine’ strategies for nurses with diet-related chronic conditions.
For each policy recommendation, local level implementation resource examples are highlighted to directly address epidemic levels of U.S. diet-related chronic disease in nurses. The workplace setting should be prioritized to promote health due to its significant influence on the wellbeing of nurse employees and their subsequent impact on the wider community. The COVID-19 pandemic compounded workplace stress and nurses remain in need of abundant workplace wellness strategies. Nurses currently face challenging work environments and would greatly benefit from healthy nutrition interventions to promote wellbeing, address diet-related chronic disease and significantly enhance overall health.
Notes
Reference list included in attached slide deck.
Sigma Membership
Tau
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Health Promotion, Nutrition, Occupational Health, Diet, Chronic Disease -- Risk Factors, Nurses -- United States
Recommended Citation
Matthews, Emily Daly and Kurnat-Thoma, Emma, "Enhancing the Professional Well-Being of US Nurses Through Healthy Nutrition" (2026). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 47.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2024/presentations_2024/47
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Washington, DC, USA
Conference Year
2024
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-02-18
Enhancing the Professional Well-Being of US Nurses Through Healthy Nutrition
Washington, DC, USA
Poor diet is the leading cause of mortality in the U.S. due to the direct relationship with diet-related chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) which disproportionally affects underserved communities and exacerbates U.S. health disparities. 1,2,3 The U.S greatly needs effective, evidence-based policy solutions to significantly improve nutrition and foster an equitable and sustainable food system to improve health and reduce diet related chronic disease.4 Approximately half of nurses in the United States have poor diet according to a 2018 systematic review.5 Healthy nutrition policy solutions should be implemented in the nursing workplace to enhance their health, professional wellbeing and to better support the largest healthcare profession vital to the welfare of society.6 Nurses often place patient wellbeing before their own, making it paramount for nurses to have easy and abundant access to the tools helping to maintain and enhance their health when encountering barriers such as shiftwork, exhaustion and burnout.7 Targeting healthy workplace diet options to support nurse wellness can help reduce modifiable risk factors and provide health benefits to nurses, patients and families.8,9
A policy analysis was conducted using the Centers for Disease Policy Analytical Framework.10 Policy recommendations to directly address high rates of diet-related chronic disease were generated. Four strategic areas that can be implemented into U.S. nursing work environments and staff educational strategies to support nurse professional wellbeing include:
1) reducing high sugar consumption by taxing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs);
2) implementing increased fruit and vegetable diet options and reducing costs of healthy food prices in the nursing workplace;
3) reducing levels of ultra-processed foods by replacing with healthy and sustainable food purchasing options that are more widely available throughout the 24-hour shifts;
4) considering ‘food is medicine’ strategies for nurses with diet-related chronic conditions.
For each policy recommendation, local level implementation resource examples are highlighted to directly address epidemic levels of U.S. diet-related chronic disease in nurses. The workplace setting should be prioritized to promote health due to its significant influence on the wellbeing of nurse employees and their subsequent impact on the wider community. The COVID-19 pandemic compounded workplace stress and nurses remain in need of abundant workplace wellness strategies. Nurses currently face challenging work environments and would greatly benefit from healthy nutrition interventions to promote wellbeing, address diet-related chronic disease and significantly enhance overall health.
Description
This presentation summarizes a US food policy analysis that addresses diet-related chronic disease and its implications for nurses. Four nutrition evidence-based health policy recommendations are identified to enhance nurse well-being and to better support nursing work environments.