Factors associated with food choices among elderly: a scoping review

Abstract

Introduction:The aging population is a matter of global concern. Age-related physiological, pathological, psychosocial, economic, cultural and environmental changes are common and may greatly influence the quality of life of the elderly. The aim of this review was to explore the determinants and motivations that drive the elderly in making food choices. Methods: The search strategy of this literature review used the PRISMA protocol. Potential literature that was related to food choices was identified using two different combinations of keywords and two major electronic search engines, namely Pubmed and Science Direct. The articles that were selected for this review had to be in the English language, open-accessed and published between January 2007 and December 2017. Results: From a search of 1398 articles, 15 articles (seven quantitative and eight qualitative) were identified that were related to food choices among the elderly. The key factor that determined food choices among the elderly population was identified to be health. Others included convenience, sensory appeal, price, early food experience and more. The limitations of these studies that were reported were the small sample size and the reliance on self-reporting. The conclusions that were drawn were for specific groups that were studied in this review should be extrapolated or generalised with caution. Conclusion:Strategies for intervention programmes should be undertaken in collaboration with health professionals, researchers, policymakers, and the food industry. Future research is needed in the elderly who have chronic diseases, are dependent or who have disabilities.

Determination of the prevalence of hypertension and factors associated with blood pressure among hospitalised elderly in Hospital Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

“…In the present study, most of the patients complained of no appetite, food was hard to chew or swallow, food was not appealing, and poor meal-related situations that might have influenced the insufficient intakes of most of their dietary nutrient components (Yahya et al, 2020). The difference in findings on nutrient components can be due to several reasons such as poor food choices and difficulty in getting the exact information for their daily consumption, as well as variations in lifestyle, as discussed in previous literature (Shahrin et al, 2019a).…”

Health, lifestyle and sociodemographic characteristics are associated with Brazilian dietary patterns: Brazilian National Health Survey

“…Moreover, they are generally more concerned about diet as part of NCD prevention and control. The high NCD prevalence observed among the elderly leads them to adopt a healthier lifestyle, including diet improvement [ 69 , 70 ]. Adequate diet practices require knowledge, planning time for groceries, and cooking.…”

Influence of Sociodemographic, Health-Related, and Behavioral Factors on Food Guidelines Compliance in Older Adults: A Hierarchical Approach from the Chilean National Health Survey 2016–17 Data

“…Older people who live alone report a lack of motivation to buy, prepare, and eat food. They often skip meals and replace nutritious meals with snacks, consume processed or convenience foods, and eat fewer and a lower variety of foods [15,16].…”

“…The selected independent variables were those that have been shown to influence the diet of older adults [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. Considering the conceptual framework, variables were grouped in three hierarchical blocks: sociodemographic, health-related, and health behavior factors (Figure 1).…”

“…With respect to psychosocial aspects, six major domains are linked to food choice: life course, loneliness (and/or living arrangement), lack of motivation and/or energy, personal interest in health and/or nutrition, self-perception of health status, and desire for independence. Regarding personal resources, income/food costs, access to quality produce, transportation issues, knowledge and/or skills in food preparation, access to support, and individual dietary resilience were distinguished as determinants of food choice [14][15][16]. However, there appears to be a considerable lack of research on identifying and understanding how those factors interact with each other and influence food choices in people over 80 years, who experience more frequently sensory impairments and multimorbidity.…”