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Nutrition Dietetics - 2024 - Dufour - Foodservice strategies for reducing athlete illness at the Olympic and Paralympic1.45 MB
Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Foodservice strategies for reducing athlete illness at the Olympic and Paralympic Games
Nutrition and Dietetics, Vol.81(5), pp.573-584
2024
Abstract
Aim:
In 2021, infection control guidelines, including those specific to feeding environments, were introduced by the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees to reduce virus transmission at the Tokyo 2020 Summer and Beijing 2022 Winter games. This observational cross-sectional study aimed to investigate caterers' compliance to these guidelines which included measures for personal hygiene, sanitisation, and physical distancing at these events.
Methods:
Expert sport dietitians attending Tokyo (n = 15) and Beijing (n = 7) games were surveyed to rate 11 COVID-19 countermeasures as fully (100%), partially or non-compliant at nine dining locations across both events. Descriptive analysis of each countermeasure based on observed compliance and location was conducted and reported as a proportion of the total responses. To better understand participant perspectives of the factors influencing compliance, open responses were systematically coded into themes and sub-themes by researchers through content analysis. Themes generated from participant comments were categorised based on their relevance to specific countermeasures and locations to identify commonalities and disparities in participant experiences, perceptions, and observations.
Results:
All main dining halls at both events were observed as 100% compliant to countermeasures on more occasions compared with Tokyo's venues and satellite villages. However, Beijing's three main dining halls, showed a greater compliance compared with Tokyo's main dining hall, likely due to overcrowding in Tokyo. Comments suggested that smaller dining spaces, with overcrowding , may have contributed to reduced compliance to physical distancing measures. Food safety concerns were raised about gastrointestinal distress in Beijing due to food cross-contamination.
Conclusion:
Findings suggest that the food service environment may influence caterers' abilities to comply with foodservice safety and infection control guidelines. In the post-pandemic era, enhanced quality control and standardised risk mitigation strategies are needed to improve athletes' health at international sporting events.
Details
- Title
- Foodservice strategies for reducing athlete illness at the Olympic and Paralympic Games
- Authors
- Angela C Dufour (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Nutrition & DieteticsFiona E Pelly (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Nutrition & DieteticsHattie H Wright (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Nutrition & DieteticsJudith Tweedie (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Nutrition & Dietetics
- Publication details
- Nutrition and Dietetics, Vol.81(5), pp.573-584
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- Date published
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.1111/1747-0080.12903
- ISSN
- 1747-0080; 1446-6368
- Copyright note
- © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
- Organisation Unit
- Healthy Ageing Research Cluster; School of Health - Nutrition & Dietetics; Cancer Research Cluster
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991058498502621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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