Evaluation of patients’ satisfaction with food services and assessment of plate waste in Cypriot hospitals

Hospital food services and the resulting food waste impact patient satisfaction, health outcomes, healthcare costs, and the environment. This cross-sectional study assessed food waste and patient satisfaction in five public hospitals in Cyprus, involving 844 inpatients. Patient characteristics and r...

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Main Authors: Elena Hadjimbei, Stavrie Chrysostomou, Alexandros Heraclides, Konstantina Kouvari, Irene P. Tzanetakou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2025-01-01
Series:Journal of Nutritional Science
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Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S204867902510030X/type/journal_article
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author Elena Hadjimbei
Stavrie Chrysostomou
Alexandros Heraclides
Konstantina Kouvari
Irene P. Tzanetakou
author_facet Elena Hadjimbei
Stavrie Chrysostomou
Alexandros Heraclides
Konstantina Kouvari
Irene P. Tzanetakou
author_sort Elena Hadjimbei
collection DOAJ
description Hospital food services and the resulting food waste impact patient satisfaction, health outcomes, healthcare costs, and the environment. This cross-sectional study assessed food waste and patient satisfaction in five public hospitals in Cyprus, involving 844 inpatients. Patient characteristics and responses to the 21-item Acute Care Hospital Foodservice Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (ACHFPSQ) were recorded. Plate waste was evaluated using photographs and a five-point visual scale (0 to 1) to estimate food consumption. Hunger and overall satisfaction were also assessed. While 77.8% rated food services as good or very good, food quality received the most negative feedback. Only 31.2% finished their main dish entirely; 29.5% and 26.3% left ¼ and ½, respectively. For dessert, 48.2% finished it, while 13.3% left it untouched. These findings reveal a gap between general satisfaction and perceived food quality, underscoring the need for targeted public health strategies to enhance food quality and reduce waste in hospitals.
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publisher Cambridge University Press
record_format Article
series Journal of Nutritional Science
spelling doaj-art-ea8d6a6f48ad4e6b8b8ddc9efa0c2a742025-08-20T03:03:19ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Nutritional Science2048-67902025-01-011410.1017/jns.2025.10030Evaluation of patients’ satisfaction with food services and assessment of plate waste in Cypriot hospitalsElena Hadjimbei0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9098-0342Stavrie Chrysostomou1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5296-8721Alexandros Heraclides2Konstantina Kouvari3Irene P. Tzanetakou4Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, CyprusDepartment of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, CyprusDepartment of Health Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, CyprusDepartment of Health Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, CyprusDepartment of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, CyprusHospital food services and the resulting food waste impact patient satisfaction, health outcomes, healthcare costs, and the environment. This cross-sectional study assessed food waste and patient satisfaction in five public hospitals in Cyprus, involving 844 inpatients. Patient characteristics and responses to the 21-item Acute Care Hospital Foodservice Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (ACHFPSQ) were recorded. Plate waste was evaluated using photographs and a five-point visual scale (0 to 1) to estimate food consumption. Hunger and overall satisfaction were also assessed. While 77.8% rated food services as good or very good, food quality received the most negative feedback. Only 31.2% finished their main dish entirely; 29.5% and 26.3% left ¼ and ½, respectively. For dessert, 48.2% finished it, while 13.3% left it untouched. These findings reveal a gap between general satisfaction and perceived food quality, underscoring the need for targeted public health strategies to enhance food quality and reduce waste in hospitals.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S204867902510030X/type/journal_articleCyprusHospital food servicesHospital food wastePatient satisfactionPlate waste
spellingShingle Elena Hadjimbei
Stavrie Chrysostomou
Alexandros Heraclides
Konstantina Kouvari
Irene P. Tzanetakou
Evaluation of patients’ satisfaction with food services and assessment of plate waste in Cypriot hospitals
Journal of Nutritional Science
Cyprus
Hospital food services
Hospital food waste
Patient satisfaction
Plate waste
title Evaluation of patients’ satisfaction with food services and assessment of plate waste in Cypriot hospitals
title_full Evaluation of patients’ satisfaction with food services and assessment of plate waste in Cypriot hospitals
title_fullStr Evaluation of patients’ satisfaction with food services and assessment of plate waste in Cypriot hospitals
title_full_unstemmed Evaluation of patients’ satisfaction with food services and assessment of plate waste in Cypriot hospitals
title_short Evaluation of patients’ satisfaction with food services and assessment of plate waste in Cypriot hospitals
title_sort evaluation of patients satisfaction with food services and assessment of plate waste in cypriot hospitals
topic Cyprus
Hospital food services
Hospital food waste
Patient satisfaction
Plate waste
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S204867902510030X/type/journal_article
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AT alexandrosheraclides evaluationofpatientssatisfactionwithfoodservicesandassessmentofplatewasteincypriothospitals
AT konstantinakouvari evaluationofpatientssatisfactionwithfoodservicesandassessmentofplatewasteincypriothospitals
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