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Qualitative exploration of food choice in older Irish adultsa life course perspective
Mary Delaney and Dr Mary McCarthy, HRB Centre for Health and Diet Research (Dept of Food Business & Development, UCC)
Overview of Presentation
Introduction to research and life course perspective
Preliminary Qualitative Study Methodology Initial findings Conclusions
Next steps
Understanding Food Choice
Adverse trends in consumption and diet-related health
Research on food choice can inform dietary change interventions and policies to promote health
Choosing food is a complex behaviour-many influences
Reductionist vs. inductive approach
Food Choice Process Model (Furst et al, 1996)
Life course: ‘changing personal roles and social, cultural and physical environments that individuals have been exposed to over time’
Food Choice Process Model
Continuity and change across time: Food choice trajectories
Conceptual model of how food choice is shaped by contexts over time to form a food choice trajectory (Devine, 2005; Sobal, 2006)
Interaction of individual development over time in historical context experienced by a particular cohort or generation (Devine, 2005)
Irish Context Social, cultural and economic change in Ireland over the last 80
years
• economic prosperity, agricultural to service economy
• urbanisation, gender equality, multi-culturalism
• secularisation and consumerism
A contextually-grounded exploration of eating behaviour over time may inform tailored approaches to tackling eating behaviour
Older Irish people can provide a unique insight
Life Course Perspective on Food Choice
Objective
To explore influences
across the life course
on the food choices
of older Irish adults
Preliminary Exploratory Qualitative Study
Methodology
In-depth semi-structured interviews with 32 older adults
Participants* Male Female Total
Age 61-79 (Mean 69) 16 16 32
Location
Urban (city) 4 4 8
Urban (suburbs) 4 4 8
Rural (coastal) 4 4 8
Rural (inland) 4 4 8
BMI
Obese 8 8 16
Healthy weight 8 8 16
Marital status
Married 14 12 26
Widowed 1 3 4
Single/Never married 1 1 2
*Sub-sample of participants (n=700) participating in epidemiological health survey, UCC
Analysis
~1 hour Interviews digitally recorded in participants’ homes and transcribed verbatim
Data was analysed using content analysis
Key emergent themes were identified and marked in the text
Relevant transcript passages were then coded by these themes using the qualitative software package NVIVO 8
Results: Key Contextual Influences
Early Food Experiences Formation of preferences and norms for eating
Food growing up ‘basic’ and ‘plain’, ‘little variety’
Scarcity, Home-produced ‘Traditional’ food
• Potatoes, bread, porridge, vegetables, bacon, eggs, dairy produce
• Meat, fruit and confectionery limitedReligious fasting observed
• Salted fish Perceptions of early diet as ‘wholesome/healthy/hearty’
(home-produced, natural) vs. ‘fat diet’ (bacon, dairy produce) offset by physical activity
Changing micro-contexts: creeping processes and deliberate change
Early food experiences – enduring preferences Life transitions: changing social roles and micro-contexts eg work,
marriage, parenthood, retirement
• Exposure to more variety
• Increased affluence
• Social context- accommodating food preferences of others
Changes for Health:
• A minority motivated by prevention/ maintaining good health in older age
• More likely if salient health threats experienced
Ageing: Declining appetite/more difficult digestion
Present consumption
Preference for traditional meals:
“Bacon and cabbage is nearly the staple diet around here…I’d never refuse..... and I could eat the cabbage cold, or hot, or any way” (Male 74)
Greater concern with ‘healthy eating’ -modifying dietAvoidance/reduction-animal fat, red meat,
salt, sugar, processed foodsAddition-fruit & veg, fish, white meat, whole grains
Confectionery/ Snacking - sweet tooth/ temptation/ comfort/ boredom
Changing Macro Contexts
Economic Development
Food System
• Range and availability ‘cosmic’
• Affordability
• Deterioration in taste/ quality
• Concern re food processing and
• additives
• Confectionery - ‘rubbish’ vs. availability & cost
Changing Macro Contexts
Food Culture and Meaning
Culture of sharing food in farming communityVisiting customs – confectionary symbol of generosityCentral role of meat, conflicted attitudes to fish
Nutrition Knowledge, Awareness and Trust
Growing awareness of linking diet to chronic disease Media and personal experience/ health adviceMultiple concepts of ‘healthy’ eating – traditional views of
sustenance/nourishment vs. modern conceptionsGreater trust in health professionals than media- and industry-
relayed information
Conclusions
Present food choice decisions and concepts of healthy eating arise out of cumulative life experiences including the collective cultural and historical experience of a particular generation. Important to consider prior life experiences and diverse meanings attached to food in efforts to address eating behaviour
Greater variety and affordability of food welcome changes. Quality and healthfulness of food perceived to be compromised. Some products harmful yet tempting. Quality simple fresh food desired. Challenge to food industry to provide such food at non-prohibitive cost and to communicate responsibly with consumers
Next Steps: Future Research Plan
Nationally representative quantitative survey on food choice (HRB Centre for Health & Diet Research)
In-depth examination of individual food choice trajectories looking at interplay of life events and social psychological processes across time
Design of a second focused qualitative study
Acknowledgements
We wish to acknowledge support to conduct this research from Prof Ivan Perry, UCC Dept of Epidemiology and the Cork & Kerry Study research team.
Funded by Health Research Board and Dept of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries as part of HRB Centre for Health and Diet Research
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