Hungry Ghosts: The Impact of Food as a Workplace Health Concern among University Staff and Faculty

Abstract

The indoor biome is of growing interest among human ecologists, yet relatively poorly studied at present. Food systems offer one approach to understanding the intersection of human well-being and institutional structures within an indoor ecology case study. This study examines a food system within a Canadian university setting, with particular reference to the issue of food security—the ability of an individual to access sufficient nutritious food for a healthy life—among university faculty and staff. The results suggest that institutional structures affect employee perceptions of their precarious food and nutritional security. While university students have been studied regarding their food security status, university staff and faculty have never been similarly studied. Findings suggest that poor food security levels among staff and faculty lead to challenges in work performance and in the overall well-being of the university as a community. University leaders should take seriously issues of food security among their employees as well as their students.