Healthy Vending Initiative in Siouxland
In April of 2010, twoSiouxland District Health Department Employees and one Iowa State University Extension, Woodbury County employee attended the Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey two-day training session. The training covered assessment completion in settings from grocery stores to convenient stores and restaurants to vending machines. Since other health and wellness initiatives were taking place in Siouxland worksites, the trio determined that it would be an appropriate fit to provide healthy vending assessments to Siouxland businesses.
Over the course of the last 18 months, over 130 NEMS-V assessments have taken place at 15 businesses in the Siouxland area. In 2011, a NEMS-V mini grant allowed us to create a NEMS-V resource folder that was presented to the worksites during their follow-up meeting. The folder provided them a NEMS-V brochure, a few sample fliers/posters, colored stickers, sample policies, suggestions on ways in which they could enhance their healthy vending initiative, and a color categorized product list. Several businesses in the community have taken additional steps to improve the vending environment.
Here is an example of what one company has done.
An initial vending assessment was conducted on 4 machines at one Siouxland business. Results showed one silver machine, one gold machine and two no award machines (beverage and snack machine). The snack machine had 39 red items and 1 yellow item.
After the first assessment the company participated in a follow-up meeting. Results were shared and suggestions for improvement were provided. The company shared the results with their wellness team and human resources. They then contacted their vendor, shared the results and product list with them, and then asked that the healthier options be included in the machine. The vendor placed some healthier options in the machine in designated rows, identified them with green stickers on the side of the machine or by the price, and placed the products at eye level. The company then implemented a six week healthy snacking game that encouraged employees to select health vending items. Some products were randomly stickered. Employees who got a snack with a green sticker turned it in for a prize. Then at the end of the 6 weeks the person with the most stickers won a $50 gift card. According to the contact at the business, she “received 183 green stickers from the game and had 63 people that participate and according to the vending company, ‘sales did not increase overall in the machine, but by far the healthy items sold the most!’ YEAH!“
After the game was completed, a re-assessment of the vending machine was conducted. The re-assessment showed that one gold machine, two silver machines and one no award machine. The one no award machine was the snack machine. Eventhough the vendor did make accommodations and significant changes to the snack machine some items thought to be “healthy” by the vendor did not meet NEMS-V criteria so fell in the red category. The re-assessment on the snack machine showed: 32 red items, 7 yellow items, and 1 green choice. During the re-assessment I had one employee approach me. He expressed he loved having juice as an option and wanted to be sure that it was going to be staying in the machine. He said it is great to have that as a choice and cheaper than going to the gas station.
We are currently working with the vending company to identify additional items that meet NEMS-V criteria. The businesses goal is to reach and maintain a minimum of 30% healthy options in the snack machine.
We are also working with another local vending company on a healthy vending program in which they can offer to their clients. They are currently working with a couple Siouxland businesses on health vending initiatives similar to the above story.
We are also promoting healthy vending policy development with area businesses. Sample policies have been shared with businesses in the worksite wellness coordinating council and with all businesses who have had a NEMS-V assessment completed. In a survey conducted with area businesses in July 2011, three businesses stated they have had healthy vending policies in place for longer than two years, one stated they developed a healthy vending policy in the last year, 5 more businesses indicated they are in the policy development stage and eight others are thinking about it.