title: Hungry in hospital, well-fed in prison? A comparative analysis of food service systems.
abstract: Meals served in prisons and hospitals are produced in similar ways and have similar characteristics, yet hospital patients are often at risk of being undernourished, while prisoners typically are not. This article examines field notes collected during nutritional studies of prison and hospital food service, which confirmed the difference in nutrient intake claimed by other authors. A comparison of food service processes and systems showed that the production of meals and the quality leaving the kitchen was similar in both types of institution. However, the delivery and service system was found to be much less coherent in hospital than in prison. Transport and service of hospital food were subject to delays and disruptions from a number of sources, including poor communication and the demands of medical professionals. These meant that meals reached hospital patients in a poorer, less appetising condition than those received by prisoners. The findings are discussed in the light of previous work and in terms of hospital food service practice.
authors.affiliation: School of Management, College of Management and Technology, Walden University, 100 Washington Avenue South, Suite 900, Minneapolis, MN 55401, USA. nick.johns@waldenu.edu
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Johns
authors.forename: John S A
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Heather J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hartwell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004032:Diet / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004034:Diet Surveys / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005521:Food Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005522:Food Services / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011330:Prisons; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult