Workpackage 6: Determining the role of meals in later life

Workpackage led by:
Prof Birgitta Sidenvall
Prof Christina Fjellstrom
(to view contact details click here)

Overall objective of Workpackage 6:
The overall objective of this WP is to determine differential role that meals, snacks and beverages play in enhancing health in later life.

The detailed objectives of this WP are to:
• Investigate the nature of older peoples meals including: time of day, composition of meal, types of foods consumed
• investigate social aspects relating to older peoples meals including the importance of other people and the roles they play
• investigate older peoples meals across cultures, age groups and living circumstances

Participating Centres:
• Food, Consumer Behaviour and Health Research Centre, University of Surrey, UK
• Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca per gli Alimenti e la Nutrizione (INRAN), Italy
• Federal Research Centre for Nutrition (FRCN) (Bundesforschungsanstalt fuer Ernaehrung BFE), Germany
• MAPP, The Aarhus School of Business, Denmark
• Faculdade de Ciências da Nutrição e Alimentação da Universidade do Porto, Portugal
• Department of Human Nutrition, Warsaw Agriculture University, Poland
• Grup d'Estudis Alimentaris, University of Barcelona, Spain

Aim
WP6 of the Food in Later Life project studies the role and meaning of meals from cultural, social, and individual perspectives.

Method
Qualitative interviews were carried out in each partner country. Data was collected from 80 older people stratified according to gender, age (65-74/75 and over) and living circumstances (living with and without partners/family). The data were analyzed in two phases, firstly in each partner country (in each local language) and secondly by the Swedish team (in English).

Results
The meaning of the meal
The meaning of the meal is closely linked to the social aspects – commensality – which means sharing food, thoughts, and table. Both women and men appreciate being together at the table. For women entertaining family members, and also friends, with tasty food at a beautifully laid table is the goal of cooking.

Diet, eating and household work – a Life Course Perspective
During the life course the meaning of food shifts. In childhood and youth the role was to be food receiver. Local availability and economical status directed the type of food consumed. At marrying, young women had to learn to take the responsibility for healthy eating in their family. Food preparation was done in advance among women working outside their home and heated up at lunch the following day. Sunday meals were most important giving both the best of food and commensality.

In old age the female role of being a food giver continued, altering only when a traumatic shift occurred, the death of the receiver, resulting in the loss of meaning of eating and an associated risk of food insecurity. Disability could also force a wife to give up cooking and her spouse to become a food giver.

Perceptions and beliefs of healthy eating in old age
Older Europeans are aware of the idea of healthy eating. To implement this in daily life people simplify and categorise food into healthy and unhealthy foods. The strategies to achieve healthy eating vary, for example people can exchange foods, exclude and compensate for unhealthy eating. Furthermore they believe that regularity, variation, balance and moderation are ways to reach the goal. Chosen strategies are influenced by social relations and situations, as well as the situation of the individual old person. Healthy eating is considered to prevent and control diseases and weight and thus a way to sustain independence.

The representation of being old and ill – the experience of food in everyday life in older Europeans
Qualitative interview and background questionnaire data from Germany, Poland, Portugal and Sweden were used to explore how disease in old age influences eating habits and the need to adopt special diets. Disease diagnosis was an important reason for changing food habits. Examples were; diabetes, hyper blood cholesterol, stomach problems/heartburn and diseases treated with surgical methods. Changes in smell and taste, medication, and teeth problems affected food habits, for example loss of appetite. Physical weakness could result in changed cooking methods. Weight was also important for health and illness. Being too heavy was perceived to be not good for the heart or joints. Participants from Poland and Portugal described the importance of following the doctor’s diet advice while persons from Germany and Sweden had a more pragmatic view. They felt following advice too strictly created dissatisfaction with food. Taste was the most important factor for food choice.