Evaluating the influence of nutritional determinants on construction workers’ nutritional intake

Abstract: Nutritional knowledge, economic, social, biological and cultural factors have been known to determine an individual’s food choice and intake. Despite the existence of research on the factors which influence nutrition globally, there is little known about the extent to which these factors influence the nutrition of construction workers, which in turn influences their health and safety performance during construction activities. The present paper investigates the extent to which construction workers’ nutrition is influenced by knowledge, economic, social, biological and cultural factors. A field questionnaire survey was conducted on site construction workers in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Principal components analysis and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that consumption of foods termed alternative foods including dairy products, eggs, nuts, fish and cereals, was influenced by nutritional knowledge and resources. Foods termed traditional core foods were identified to be influenced by cultural background; foods termed secondary core foods comprising fruits and vegetables were reported to be influenced by economic factors, resources and cultural background; while foods termed core foods were mostly influenced by nutritional knowledge. By providing evidence of the factors which most influence selection and consumption of certain foods by construction workers, relevant nutrition interventions will be designed and implemented, taking cognizance of these factors