"Kanske för mycket vetebröd"

: Attityder till och vanor kring mellanmål bland personer över 65 år

Abstract

Introduction: Food and meals are of great importance for preventing age-related health problems. Older adults need more dietary protein to support good health and a snack is a great way for them to get more protein. Studying attitudes and habits among people over the age of 65 can provide a deeper understanding of what kind of food and snacks choices they make. This can also be used as a basis for health promotion intended for elderly people. Aim: To study attitudes and habits towards snacks among people over 65 years. The questions asked in the study focused on what factors influencing the choices of snacks, if high-protein dairy products are eaten as a snack and how these products are regarded. Material and method: A quantitative study was conducted using a survey, where a convenience sampling was made. Results: A majority ate one-two snacks per day and these mostly consisted of fruit/vegetables, sandwiches or cookies/pastries. The main motive for snacking was to drink forenoon/afternoon coffee. There was some difference between men and women when it came to attitudes to snacks. The factors that affected the choices of snacks the most were that they should be tasty, simple and healthy. That the snack should be high in protein was of least importance. Conclusion: Snacking was associated with drinking forenoon/afternoon coffee and consequently future efforts to promote and develop protein-enriched cakes, cookies and pastries can help people over 65 years to easier acquire their protein need. Awareness about the importance of high-protein snacks appears to be lacking in the targeted population, however the generalisation of the results from this study is limited because of the convenience sampling.