Impact of Community-Based Food Interventions on Health, Well-being, and Social Connectedness of Older Adults: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

This scoping review examines the impact of community-based food interventions on older adults’ health, well-being, and social connectedness. As the global population ages, these interventions offer promising solutions to address health challenges older adults face, such as malnutrition, social isolation, and chronic diseases. This review finds that community-based food interventions effectively improve older adults’ dietary quality, physical health, and mental well-being, with more significant benefits observed when these interventions promote social bonding and foster a sense of community. Key factors contributing to success include combining multiple intervention components, such as nutritional education and physical activity. Offering culturally relevant food; incorporating interactive and sensory activities; embedding staff within interventions; including the involvement of experts; and clear goal-setting methods, such as SMART goals, are also crucial in driving behavior change and influencing the success of interventions. These elements foster a more personalized and holistic approach to health promotion. However, barriers such as limited time for social interaction, inadequate content delivery, challenges in accessibility and affordability, and limited food variety were identified. The insights from our review are significant for stakeholders integrating community-based food interventions into local healthcare systems, ultimately supporting healthy aging, improving the quality of life of community-based older adults, and reducing the burden on healthcare services, with economic benefits.