Availability and use of spices and herbs in healthcare facilities

Introduction: The number of older adults requiring long-term support services in the US is dramatically increasing, yet healthcare facilities continue to insufficiently support multicultural older adults. Background: Offering foods from various culinary traditions may help promote cultural inclusivity in healthcare facilities (namely hospitals and long-term care settings), which may increase patient satisfaction and influence older adults’ decision to utilize these services. This study aimed to assess the a) availability and b) use of various herbs and spices in healthcare facilities. Methods: We conducted a nationwide online survey asking healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses, RDNs), chefs, and food service personnel what spices and herbs were available in the facilities where they worked, and how often these spices and herbs were used for food preparation. We also asked what respondents perceived to be culinary preferences of their residents/patients/clients. We then summarized frequencies and proportions for all measures. Results: About half of the respondents (52.56%) reported that the food was prepared from scratch in their facilities. While most respondents reported a large number (40 or more) spices and herbs to be available in their facilities, black pepper (88.79%), garlic (86.79%) and onion (84.11%) were reported to be the most frequently used. Alum (43.75%), galangal (44.64%) and black mustard seeds (40.18%) were identified as the most commonly unavailable spices. Even when present, alum (80.65%), galangal (87.50%) and saffron (72.00%) were reported to be rarely used in most facilities. Discussion: Our study indicates that despite many spices and herbs being available, only a select few (black pepper, onion and garlic) are frequently used for food preparation in healthcare facilities. This suggests that most healthcare facilities do not offer culturally diverse food options for their residents/patients/clients. Conclusion: There is a need for increased cultural inclusivity in healthcare facilities, especially for older adults. Incorporating a variety of spices and herbs when preparing food may be a simple, low-cost solution to making diets culturally inclusive, improving patient-centeredness and quality of care in healthcare facilities, which would then result in increased utilization of required health services and improved health outcomes in older minority populations.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Community Health

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Mashhood, Ammarah

Contributors dc:contributor

• Raj, Minakshi

• Spices
• Herbs
• Healthcare facilities
• Cultural inclusion
• Culture
• Spices use
• Spices available
• Herbs used
• Herbs available

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Ammarah Mashhood

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129583

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F129583