The Socio-ecological Correlates of Meal Skipping in Community Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review

Holly Wild, Yeji Baek, Shivangi Shah, Danijela Gasevic , Alice J. Owen

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Context
Meal skipping may contribute to nutrient deficiency across the lifespan. Multiple socio-ecological factors have been identified as correlates of meal skipping in adolescents and adults, but evidence in older adults is limited.
Objective
To determine the socio-ecological correlates of meal skipping in community-dwelling older adults.
Data source
EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and MEDLINE electronic databases were systematically searched from inception to March 2021
Data extraction
A total of 473 original research studies on socio-ecological factors and meal skipping among community dwelling adults 65 years of age and over were identified. Title, abstract and full text review was performed by two reviewers independently, and a third reviewer resolved disagreements. A total of 23 studies met our inclusion criteria. Data were extracted from these studies by one reviewer and independently verified by another. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess methodological quality.
Data analysis
The frequency of meal skipping in included studies ranged between 2.1% to 61%. This review identified five domains of socio-ecological correlates associated with meal skipping in older adults: socio-demographic, behavioural, biomedical, psychological and social.
Conclusion
Understanding the factors associated with meal skipping in older adults can inform the development of targeted interventions to improve nutrition and health.
Systematic review registration: PROSPERO (CRD42021249338)

Original languageEnglish
Article numberDOI: nuac050
JournalAnnual Review of Nutrition
Publication statusPublished - 15 Jun 2022

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