Indian elderly women’s experiences of food procurement and preparation

ABSTRACT

The present study explored the experiences of Indian elderly women in meal preparation and food procurement. Ten elderly women aged 60–72 years residing in a metropolis were interviewed. Thematic analysis identified two overarching themes: “Meal preparation and food procurement are meaningful occupations” and “Meal preparation and food procurement change with age.” The findings suggests that Indian elderly women valued their participation in these activities. They actively adopted alternative strategies and technologies to overcome the challenges experienced while performing these activities. The findings highlight the strong influence of family and financial aspects on the decisions of elderly women with regard to meal preparation and food procurement. The study findings provide salient information on personal and environmental factors that could guide interventions to promote and maintain Indian elderly women’s participation in these meaningful occupations.

KEYWORDS:

• Ageing
• cooking
• food shopping
• qualitative research

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the participants in the study and the Department of Occupational Therapy and Research committee of Manipal University.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.