The purpose of this study was to determine if residents (n = 26) living in an Iowa long-term care facility had differences in food intake at their noon meal and body weight when served traditional tray meal service for 10 weeks compared to being served restaurant-style meal service for 10 weeks. The study also evaluated the facility’s raw food costs of the two meal service styles.
Mean meal intake scale scores improved when residents were served restaurant-style meal service (0.4±0.3) compared to traditional tray meal service. Residents did not show a significant percent weight (1.1%±3.7%) change or percent BMI (0.9%±3.7%) change between the two styles of meal service; however, 16 residents (62%) lost weight. There was a minimal difference in raw food costs between traditional tray meal service and restaurant-style meal service.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this study was to determine if residents (n = 26) living in an Iowa long-term care facility had differences in food intake at their noon meal and body weight when served traditional tray meal service for 10 weeks compared to being served restaurant-style meal service for 10 weeks. The study also evaluated the facility’s raw food costs of the two meal service styles.</p> <p>Mean meal intake scale scores improved when residents were served restaurant-style meal service (0.4±0.3) compared to traditional tray meal service. Residents did not show a significant percent weight (1.1%±3.7%) change or percent BMI (0.9%±3.7%) change between the two styles of meal service; however, 16 residents (62%) lost weight. There was a minimal difference in raw food costs between traditional tray meal service and restaurant-style meal service.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Murphy, Dee"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Health Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Judith T. Brooks, PhD, RD","Alice Jo Rainville, PhD, RD, CHE, SNS","Gary Parry, NHA"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2008,"date_issued":"2008-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2008-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:30Z","subjects":["Long-term care facilities Food service Management","Older people Nutrition","Nursing homes Food service Management","Geriatrics","Nutrition"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/167","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Judith T. Brooks, PhD, RD","Alice Jo Rainville, PhD, RD, CHE, SNS","Gary Parry, NHA"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Murphy, Dee"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Health Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Long-term care facilities Food service Management","Older people Nutrition","Nursing homes Food service Management","Geriatrics","Nutrition"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/167"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this study was to determine if residents (n = 26) living in an Iowa long-term care facility had differences in food intake at their noon meal and body weight when served traditional tray meal service for 10 weeks compared to being served restaurant-style meal service for 10 weeks. The study also evaluated the facility’s raw food costs of the two meal service styles.
Mean meal intake scale scores improved when residents were served restaurant-style meal service (0.4±0.3) compared to traditional tray meal service. Residents did not show a significant percent weight (1.1%±3.7%) change or percent BMI (0.9%±3.7%) change between the two styles of meal service; however, 16 residents (62%) lost weight. There was a minimal difference in raw food costs between traditional tray meal service and restaurant-style meal service.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Comparison of long-term care residents' food intake, body weight, and food costs between two meal service styles"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Judith T. Brooks, PhD, RD","Alice Jo Rainville, PhD, RD, CHE, SNS","Gary Parry, NHA"],"dc:creator":["Murphy, Dee"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this study was to determine if residents (n = 26) living in an Iowa long-term care facility had differences in food intake at their noon meal and body weight when served traditional tray meal service for 10 weeks compared to being served restaurant-style meal service for 10 weeks. The study also evaluated the facility’s raw food costs of the two meal service styles.
Mean meal intake scale scores improved when residents were served restaurant-style meal service (0.4±0.3) compared to traditional tray meal service. Residents did not show a significant percent weight (1.1%±3.7%) change or percent BMI (0.9%±3.7%) change between the two styles of meal service; however, 16 residents (62%) lost weight. There was a minimal difference in raw food costs between traditional tray meal service and restaurant-style meal service.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/167"],"dc:subject":["Long-term care facilities Food service Management","Older people Nutrition","Nursing homes Food service Management","Geriatrics","Nutrition"],"dc:title":["Comparison of long-term care residents' food intake, body weight, and food costs between two meal service styles"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Health Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:30Z"}