2025 Volume 83 Issue 2 Pages 78-86
Objective: This study examined the percentage of workers in Japan who use company cafeterias, the distribution of regions and industries, and sociodemographic correlates and reasons for their use.
Method: The participants were 1,137 registered monitors of a social research company who responded to a cross-sectional Internet survey in September 2020. The chi-square test and residual analysis were used to examine differences in the distribution of worksite regions and occupational types in relation to company cafeterias. Sociodemographic factors and reasons associated with using worksite cafeterias were examined with force-entry logistic regression analysis.
Result: In total, 27% of the respondents reported having a company cafeteria. The frequency of using company cafeterias was significantly higher in the Chubu region and in the manufacturing and public service industries. Among those who reported having a company cafeteria, the frequency of use was 40% among non-users and 40% among daily users. Men, those in their 20s, and those with a university degree or higher were significantly more likely to use worksite cafeterias. Higher-frequency users were significantly more likely than lower-frequency users to report that "many of my close colleagues use it."
Conclusion: Polarization was observed between those who did not use the company cafeteria and those who used it daily. Sociodemographic factors and social reasons associated with using the service would provide useful information for developing effective cafeteria utilization strategies to promote workers' health.
