Study Confirms Lower Nutritional Adequacy Scores in Working Adults Compared to Non-Working Adults - Based on Health and Nutrition Survey Data of 3,520 Adults -

Fujicco Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Kobe; President and Representative Director: Shoichi Fukui), in a joint study with Associate Professor Eri Imai of the Department of Living Nutrition, Faculty of Human Culture at the University of Shiga Prefecture, has clarified that 'employment status' in adults is associated with a decrease in nutritional adequacy scores, an indicator of dietary quality, and that working individuals tend to consume fewer side-dish foods. These research results were presented at the 80th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Nutrition and Food Science (May 15-17, 2026).

■ Research Overview

≪Background and Purpose≫
With the expansion of the working population due to factors such as the increase in dual-income households, the relationship between 'employment' and dietary habits/health status has received attention in recent years. Working individuals are considered susceptible to simplified and irregular dietary habits due to time constraints and stress from their jobs. Furthermore, Japanese traditional meals—based on staples, main dishes, and side dishes—have been valued for their nutritional balance, but changes in lifestyle due to employment have been pointed out as a potential cause for the omission or lack of side dishes. However, previous nutritional epidemiology studies have focused on the elderly, and the relationship between employment status and comprehensive dietary intake/nutritional adequacy in the adult population has not been sufficiently examined.
Since Shiga Prefecture has an age/sex distribution close to the national average and diverse living environments, its large-scale health and nutrition survey data is considered useful for examining the dietary and working situations of Japanese adults. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the direction of nutritional support for working individuals by using data from the 2015 'Shiga Health and Nutrition Map' survey to examine the relationship between employment status, food group intake, nutritional intake, and nutritional adequacy in adults.

≪Study Contents and Methods≫
To understand the health status, lifestyle, and nutritional intake of Shiga residents, the data from the 'Shiga Health and Nutrition Map,' a large-scale health survey conducted every five years for approximately 10,000 residents aged 18 and older, was used. The study targeted 3,520 adults aged 20-64 (excluding students and pregnant/postpartum women) and evaluated the nutritional adequacy scores, food group intake, and nutritional intake by comparing working and non-working groups by gender.

≪Research Results≫
In both men and women, it was confirmed that the working group had significantly lower nutritional adequacy scores compared to the non-working group. Regarding food group intake, while meat consumption was high in both genders, men showed a tendency for lower vegetable intake, and women showed lower intake of beans and fruits. Furthermore, it was revealed that while nutritional adequacy scores decrease with higher intake of grains and fats/oils, they increase with higher intake of foods categorized as 'side dishes,' such as vegetables, beans, tubers, and fruits. These results suggest that employment status is associated with a decrease in dietary quality (nutritional adequacy score), and that support for side dish intake for workers may contribute to improving their dietary quality.

≪Significance and Future Prospects≫
Fujicco has consistently proposed the value of traditional Japanese meals based on staples, main dishes, and side dishes through side-dish products such as beans and seaweed. These results suggest that providing 'easily accessible side dishes' for working individuals may lead to an improvement in overall dietary quality, supporting the utility of our side-dish products as nutritional support suited to modern lifestyles. Moving forward, we will further promote dietary proposals and product development based on the living conditions of working individuals, continue research on the impact of side dish intake on health indicators, and contribute to building a society where everyone can practice healthy eating habits through both research and product development.