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Daily eating events among co-living and single-living diseased older men

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The Journal of Nutrition Health and Aging

Abstract

Objectives: To analyse, describe and compare the frequency and energy intake of eating events, including specific food items, among diseased older men living in ordinary housing.Design: Descriptive and explorative.Setting: Interviews were performed in the participants’ home.Participants: Thirty-five co-living and 26 single-living men, 64–88 years of age. Participants had one of three chronic diseases associated with difficulties in buying and preparing food and with difficulties related to the meal situation: Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis or stroke.Measurements: A repeated 24-h recall was used to assess food intake and meal patterns.Results: Eating events were distributed over a 24-h period. Co-living men had a higher (p=0.001) number of eating events/day; both hot and cold eating events were consumed more frequently. There was no difference between groups concerning energy intake. Co-living men more often had hot eating events cooked from raw ingredients (p=0.001) and a greater mix of vegetables/roots (p=0.003) included in such eating events.Conclusion: Single-living men may constitute a vulnerable group from a nutritional perspective, while co-living men, besides the pleasure of eating with another person, seem to get support with food and eating events from their partners. Hence, the group of single-living men, particularly those with a disability, should receive particular attention with regard to possible food-related difficulties.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala Science Park, 751 83, Uppsala, Sweden

    K. Kullberg & A. C. Åberg

  2. The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden

    A. C. Åberg

  3. Department of Rehabilitation, School of Health Sciences, Box 1026, SE-551 11, Jönköping, Sweden

    A. Bjorklund

  4. Department of Domestic Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjöldsväg 21, S-752 37, Uppsala, Sweden

    J. Ekblad

  5. Department of Nursing Science, School of Health Sciences, Box 1026, SE-551 11, Jönköping, Sweden

    B. Sidenvall

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Correspondence to K. Kullberg.

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Kullberg, K., Åberg, A.C., Bjorklund, A. et al. Daily eating events among co-living and single-living diseased older men. J Nutr Health Aging 12, 176–182 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02982615

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