Edfors Ellinor, Westergren Albert
The PRO-CARE Group, School of Health and Society, Kristianstad University, 291 88 Kristianstad, Sweden.
J Aging Res. 2012;2012:761291. doi: 10.1155/2012/761291. Epub 2012 Sep 9.
Background. The aim of the study was to describe home-living elderly people's views on the importance of food and meals. Methods. Semistructured interviews with twelve elderly people. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results. Respondents described how their past influenced their present experiences and views on food and meals. Increased reliance on and need of support with food and meals frequently arose in connection with major changes in their life situations. Sudden events meant a breaking point with a transition from independence to dependence and a need for assistance from relatives and/or the community. With the perspective from the past and in the context of dependency, respondents described meals during the day, quality of food, buying, transporting, cooking, and eating food. Conclusions. Meeting the need for optimal nutritional status for older people living at home requires knowledge of individual preferences and habits, from both their earlier and current lives. It is important to pay attention to risk factors that could compromise an individual's ability to independently manage their diet, such as major life events and hospitalisation. Individual needs for self-determination and involvement should be considered in planning and development efforts for elderly people related to food and meals.
背景。本研究的目的是描述居家老年人对食物和膳食重要性的看法。方法。对12位老年人进行半结构化访谈。采用定性内容分析法对访谈进行分析。结果。受访者描述了他们的过去如何影响他们目前对食物和膳食的体验及看法。在生活状况发生重大变化时，对食物和膳食的依赖增加以及对支持的需求经常出现。突发事件意味着一个转折点，从独立过渡到依赖，并需要亲属和/或社区的帮助。从过去的角度以及在依赖的背景下，受访者描述了白天的膳食、食物质量、购买、运输、烹饪和进食情况。结论。满足居家老年人最佳营养状况的需求需要了解他们过去和当前生活中的个人偏好和习惯。关注可能损害个人独立管理饮食能力的风险因素很重要，例如重大生活事件和住院治疗。在与老年人食物和膳食相关的规划和发展工作中，应考虑个人的自决和参与需求。
