Food Insecurity and Malnutrition Risk in Older Adults in South Devon
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A mixed methods study to explore food insecurity and nutritional status in older adults living in Torbay and South Devon.
IRAS ID
338934
Contact name
Irene McClelland
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Background
The most recent Census for England and Wales (2021) shows that there are 5.2 million people aged over 75 years, approximately 9% of the population. This number has more than tripled in the past 75 years. There are also 5.9 million people between the ages of 65 and 74 years. This trend is projected into the future. Not having adequate access to healthy food, sometimes referred to as "food insecurity" can lead to additional health problems including malnutrition. There is a lack of research on the experiences of older people in the UK.
Aim
We would like to understand the experience of food insecurity for older adults living in Torbay and South Devon. We would also like to find out if older people are malnourished and how we can support them to access healthy affordable food.
Design and Methods
We will work with older people in the community, staff in the NHS and local Councils and university of Plymouth. We will design an online survey and undertake interviews with older people, asking about their experiences and how things might be adapted to enable people to access healthy affordable food. We will also measure height and weight as these measurements can be used to screen for malnutrition risk.
Patient and public involvement
The initial research idea came from participants in a Meals on Wheels study who communicated difficulties with access to food. We plan to include older people in the development of the study surveys as they are the most informed.
Dissemination
We will use the results in the best way possible to help older people access healthy affordable food. We will share the research results and raise awareness to people working in NHS and local Councils. We plan to do further research studies in the future to improve access to healthy food for older people.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/NE/0146
Date of REC Opinion
4 Sep 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion