title: Exploring the dynamics of a free fruit at work intervention.
abstract: The workplace has been identified as an ideal setting for health interventions. However, few UK-based workplace intervention studies have been published. Fewer still focus on the practicalities and implications when running an intervention within the workplace setting. The objective of this paper was to qualitatively determine the perceived behaviour changes of participants in a free fruit at work intervention. Understanding the dynamics of a workplace intervention and establishing any limitations of conducting an intervention in a workplace setting were also explored.
  
  
  
  Twenty-three face-to-face interviews were conducted with individuals receiving free fruit at work for 18 weeks (74 % female). The worksite was the offices of a regional local government in the North East of England. Analysis was guided theoretically by Grounded Theory research and the data were subjected to content analysis. The transcripts were read repeatedly and cross-compared to develop a coding framework and derive dominant themes.
  
  
  
  Topics explored included: the workplace food environment; the effect of the intervention on participants and on other related health behaviours; the effect of the intervention on others; participant's fruit consumption; reasons for not taking part in the intervention; expectations and sustainability post-intervention; and how to make the workplace healthier. Five emergent themes included: the office relationship with food; desk based eating; males and peer support; guilt around consumption of unhealthy foods; and the type of workplace influencing the acceptability of future interventions.
  
  
  
  Exploring the perceptions of participants offered valued insights into the dynamics of a free fruit workplace intervention. Findings suggest that access and availability are both barriers and facilitators to encouraging healthy eating in the workplace.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Public Policy & Health, School of Medicine & Health, Wolfson Research Institute, Durham University, Queen's Campus, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 6BH, UK. amelia.lake@durham.ac.uk.|Department of Nutrition, Technical University of Denmark, Mørkhøj Bygade 19, Søborg, DK-2860, Denmark. amelia.lake@durham.ac.uk.|Fuse-The UKCRC Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. amelia.lake@durham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Amelia A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lake
authors.affiliation: Centre for Public Policy & Health, School of Medicine & Health, Wolfson Research Institute, Durham University, Queen's Campus, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 6BH, UK.|Department of Nutrition, Technical University of Denmark, Mørkhøj Bygade 19, Søborg, DK-2860, Denmark.
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Technical University of Denmark, Mørkhøj Bygade 19, Søborg, DK-2860, Denmark.
authors.forename: Charlotte E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Technical University of Denmark, Mørkhøj Bygade 19, Søborg, DK-2860, Denmark.
authors.forename: Sevil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alinia
authors.affiliation: Human Nutrition Research Centre, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.affiliation: Human Nutrition Research Centre, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.|Fuse-The UKCRC Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Seal
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Technical University of Denmark, Mørkhøj Bygade 19, Søborg, DK-2860, Denmark.
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tetens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D004032:Diet / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D004739:England; D004777:Environment; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D066296:Grounded Theory; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012931:Social Environment; D017132:Workplace
keywords: Fruit; Intervention development; Perceived healthy behaviour; Workplace