School of Education

Assessing older adults’ nutritional and wellbeing outcomes associated with ageing in place with supported food accessibility: A mixed-methods, biopsychosocial analysis

Funded by Food Train and Eat Well Eat Well (Big Lottery Funded project)

Despite significant changes and improvements in awareness of malnutrition, as well as in nutritional screening practice, preventable older age malnutrition is common in the UK (BAPEN, 2014). The latest community-based data estimates 1 in 10 people over 65 are at risk of or suffering from preventable malnutrition, which places the older person at increased risk of unplanned or emergency hospital admission (Malnutrition Task Force, 2017).

University of Glasgow and the Eat Well Age Well Project (EWAW) worked in conjunction with Food Train (volunteer led grocery shopping, meal making social enterprise) in order to evidence the impact of the Food Train service for older adults at home, as they relate to outcomes spanning nutritional (malnutrition), physiological, psychological wellbeing and social domains.

This mixed method research study aligns with the Eat Well Age Well big lottery funded project, where risk and prevalence of malnutrition for older people living at home (ageing in place) in Scotland can be tackled through research and evaluation, as well as other identified EWAW project strands.  This University of Glasgow in conjunction with the EWAW project will inform policy where legislative practices move Scotland towards becoming a ‘Good Food Nation’ (Scottish Government, 2018). The project aims were:

1. Explore the impact of the food train service on key outcomes related to health and wellbeing for older persons utilising its services and incorporate comparison samples with older age adults who do not receive Food Train services.
2. Cascade research findings directly to Food Train/EWAW and more widely within established networks & Scottish Government to inform and strengthen ongoing policy, service support and potential for onward expansion of Food Train services to areas not presently covered.
3. Establish standardised systems for accurate and consistent data capture including GDPR complaint data management (useful for evaluation) of the impact of Food Train beyond the lifecycle of the research project.
4. Establish an evidence base from which to build onward proposal for larger scale evaluation of the food train service