Christina Fjellström

The meal as a gift : the meaning of cooking among retired women

The aim of this qualitative interview study was to delineate the meaning of preparing, cooking, and serving meals among retired single living and cohabiting women. Sixty-three women living in two Swedish cities and their rural surroundings participated. The findings showed that the profound meaning was to do something for others. The whole procedure of preparing a meal could be seen as preparing a gift. Four phases were identified: finding out what to serve, cooking with fresh ingredients, presenting the gift in a beautiful manner, and enjoying the gift in commensality. Cohabiting women went on cooking with duty and joy as they had done before retirement as long as their power was maintained. For widows, especially those who had recently lost their spouse, the whole meaning of cooking and eating was lost, and among these women there is a risk of poor nutritional intake.

Managing food shopping and cooking : The experiences of older Swedish women

The aim of the research reported in this paper was to study older Swedish womens experiences of managing food shopping and cooking as part of an independent life in different family situations. The research approach was qualitative, using informal ethnographic interviews and thematic analysis. Twenty-three single-living and 18 cohabiting Swedish women, aged 64–67, 74–77 and 84–87, participated. They valued being active through continuing with familiar routines whereby they could live independently. They gained physical exercise and social contacts when they went shopping. Well-known foods and traditional dishes were preferred as they enabled them to proceed from familiar routines. Economical thinking related to money and their own work guided their choice of food. Lack of strength made some, particularly the older informants and those living alone, dependent on local shops, and they simplified their cooking, while others had more freedom of choice when they shopped together with their husbands. The implications of the research for services which help older women, particularly those who live alone or who have been recently bereaved, are discussed.

Food Habits and Foodwork : The Life Course Perspective of Senior Europeans.

Abstract In this cross-cultural, European study of 644 women and men, aged 65–98 years, food habits and foodwork were examined from a life course perspective. The study is a part of the”Food in Later Life – Choosing foods, eating meals:sustaining independence and quality of life” project, which was carried out in eight European countries using qualitative interviews for data collection. Informants in all eight countries reported experiences of a time when access to food was limited and when foodwork in the household context was extensive. Important transitions and turning points occurred during their lives, and marriage meant that women took on the role of food-givers and men the role of food-receivers. Other changes in relation to food habits and foodwork arose when they were suddenly alone, contracted a disease and retired. Loss of appetite, loneliness, frailty and disease in the last part of life were identified as a transition towards less elaborated meals.

Observed dietary intake in adults with intellectual disability living in the community

Background Knowledge is lacking about dietary habits among people with intellectual disability (ID) living in community residences under new living conditions. Objective To describe the dietary habits of individuals with ID living in community residences, focusing on intake of food, energy and nutrients as well as meal patterns. Design Assisted food records and physical activity records over a 3-day observation period for 32 subjects. Results Great variation was observed in daily energy intake (4.9–14 MJ) dispersed across several meals, with on average 26% of the energy coming from in-between-meal consumption. Main energy sources were milk products, bread, meat products, buns and cakes. The daily intake of fruit and vegetables (320±221 g) as well as dietary fiber (21±9.6 g) was generally low. For four vitamins and two minerals, 19–34% of subjects showed an intake below average requirement (AR). The physical activity level (PAL) was low for all individuals (1.4±0.1). Conclusion A regular meal pattern with a relatively high proportion of energy from in-between-meal eating occasions and a low intake of especially fruits were typical of this group of people with ID. However, the total intake of energy and other food items varied a great deal between individuals. Thus, every adult with ID has to be treated as an individual with specific needs. A need for more knowledge about food in general and particularly how fruit and vegetables could be included in cooking as well as encouraged to be eaten as in-between-meals seems imperative in the new living conditions for adults with ID.

Meals and snacks among elderly self-managing and disabled women.

AIM The aim of this study was to describe the frequency and distribution of self-managing and disabled elderly womens eating events, as well as to investigate which definition/names the women had given their different eating events and to categorise these into meals and snacks. An additional aim was to study the composition of meals and snacks, and analyse the nutritional significance of these eating events in terms of energy and macronutrients. SUBJECTS Elderly women, both self-managing (n=139) and disabled (n=63; with Parkinsons disease, rheumatoid arthritis or stroke), aged 64-88 years, and living at home participated. METHODS A repeated 24 h recall and an estimated food diary for three consecutive days were used. RESULTS The eating events defined by the women that were categorised as meals contributed 74% of the total daily energy intake, while snacks contributed 22-23%. The meals that the women had defined as dinner, was the most energy dense meal. The frequency of eating events not defined by the women, was 30-34%, but contributed only 3-4% of the total daily energy intake. The disabled women had a significantly lower energy content in meals and most snacks, compared to the self-managing women. CONCLUSION The main conclusion was that elderly women still living at home had their meals distributed during the day and that these meals were characterised by individuality and flexibility.

To Be a Good Food Provider: An Exploratory Study Among Spouses of Persons With Alzheimer’s Disease

Large proportions of people with dementia live at home and need help from a relative. The aim of the current study was to examine how people living with persons with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) perceived everyday life aspects of food choices, cooking, and food-related work. The analyses are based on focus group interviews including women and men acting as caregivers to people with AD and living in Sweden. The main results identified from the data, were how cohabitants to persons with AD struggle with either taking on a new role as a food provider or extending it, but also how they tried to cope as carer, which entailed food being an important part of the treatment of the disease. Those expressing greatest concern were those perceiving themselves as inexperienced food providers and carers, which in this study were all men.

Food Intake and the Elderly — Social Aspects

In the beginning of the 21st century most countries in the World are facing tremendous demographic changes in which the elderly are the fastest growing segment of the population. Between 1980 and 2020 the number of elderly (over age 64) in westernised countries will grow 66%, while in Asia the population will grow more than 200% (Senauer et al. 1991). At the same time, the younger segment of the population will decrease, leaving a gap between those elderly people in society who might need help and those who, in terms of employed workers or relatives, need to provide this help. Every facet of society will be affected, including food consumed in everyday life. Some researchers predict that society in the near future will be unable to satisfactorily meet or deal with the needs and requirements of elderly households. Others stress that a new social trend, such as rising living standards among the population as a whole, will be positive in terms of society overall, including its elderly members (Senauer et al. 1991; Fenell et al. 1994). Older persons will be able to buy whatever services or commodities they need, but nonetheless they may experience other problems associated with foods for example. Several studies have reported insufficient energy and nutrient intake among the elderly living at home (Wylie et al. 1999; Tierney 1996). Many factors might explain this phenomenon, such as; loss of appetite after becoming a widow/widower, resulting from social isolation, physical disability, economic problems, poor access to shops and difficulties undertaking the shopping, inadequate food storage facilities, subjective experience of the “Meals on Wheels” as non-tasty or culturally unfamiliar, and so on (Wylie et al. 1999; Wolfe et al. 1996; Rolls 1994). The necessity of comprehending social and cultural meanings of food and food-related behaviours is important when studying food in relation to health as well as the role of food in life. Food research among the elderly has, however, focused more upon nutritional factors, one example being the so-called Euronut SENECA-study published in 1991 on nutrition and the elderly (n=2600, respondents 70–75 years of age), than on studies that emphasise cultural and social aspects of elderly food intake (Euronut SENECA study 1991). As new social developments emerge, associated with the demographic changes described above, research into cultural and social aspects of ageing will become more important.

Responsibile marketing to children and their families

Purpose – Discusses the role of food marketing to children and how responsible marketing may facilitate healthy foodways.Design/methodology/approach – Reports research on children as consumers and the consumer socialization process, where the role of media and brands are stronger influencing agents than before. Describes the criticism against child advertisements and the use of entertainment in marketing to children, especially in positioning unhealthy food products. Continues with describing the industry’s response in terms of conducting responsible marketing through self‐regulation.Findings – Suggests that healthy food habits can be facilitated by making healthy food available, by promoting well‐being and through making healthy food entertaining. Several aspects in children’s experiences of fun ought to be considered in the marketing process. Responsible acting among producers and marketers is a way of forming emotional relationships and thus of creating consumer loyalty.Practical implications – Several...

Reasons among older Swedish women of not participating in a food survey.

Objectives: To (a) examine participation rate as a function of municipality, age group and living status; and (b) investigate the main reasons for exclusion and declining as stated by the women themselves.Design: Analysis of participation rate and content analysis of statements given in phone calls explaining exclusion or declination from a project in which 24 h recalls and food-diaries were used.Subjects: Self-managing Swedish women (n=505) were systematically selected from a stratified random sample covering single living and cohabiting women aged 64–68, 74–78 and 84–88 y living in three municipalities.Results: No significant differences were found among included and declining women when municipalities and living status was analysed, but significantly more women in the oldest group were excluded (P>0.01). Among those in their 80s living at home, the usual reasons for exclusion were illness, disability or dementia, and many lived in institutions for old people. The four most used explanations to decline participation were ‘lack of time’, ‘tired, fragile, sick or having bad memory’, ‘not willing to participate in scientific studies’ and ‘too old and nothing to contribute’.Conclusions: The participation rate was, compared with other food surveys in the older generation, fairly good, especially among those in their 80s. However, the most active and the very ill and disabled did not participate.Sponsorship: The Swedish Council for Social Research, the Swedish Council for Forestry and Agricultural Research, the Swedish Foundation for Health and Care Sciences and Allergy Research and Uppsala University.

The social significance of older people's meals

Abstract: Old age and isolation has been recognized as a dilemma and especially eating alone. One problem with loneliness, besides being deprived of human contact, is the effect it has on nutritional status. In this chapter the phenomenon of sharing food and eating together is discussed from different perspectives both among free living older persons and among elderly living in institutions. It is pointed out that commensality is the end of a long process involving food as an indication of social occasions and that a close social network is a determining factor for eating and household work. Also being able to care for oneself and being able to shop for and cook food and prepare meals are part of older people’s personhood. Though eating alone not necessarily entails malnutrition it is mostly associated with less enjoyment in eating. It is also discussed that it is important to recognize the social and cultural implications of food and meals when examining commensality as a phenomenon.