Influence of the Type of Family Model on Eating Habits in the Elderly and the Role of Eating Alone. An Italian Survey

Background: Italy, as well as many other countries worldwide, is facing a huge demographic transition that could be summarized as progressive aging of the population. This phenomenon will probably affect the eating habits of a growing mass of consumers, because senescence is associated with different nutritional needs. The literature showed that dietary habits may be affected by age, gender and proxies of social status such as education. However, studies about the experience of eating alone are lacking. Methods: Observational population study using data from the 2010 face-to-face national survey by the Italian Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), and descriptive qualitative study collecting interviews about the experience of eating alone in two periods (2007 - 2010 and 2011 - 2014). Results: Qualitative interviews showed both “negative experiences” and “positive aspects” about eating alone, for which we reported the most significant answers. In our study population, age ≥ 85 and female gender were related to living alone. Low education confirmed its association with poor nutritional status. The condition of living alone was associated with a reduced risk of obesity and showed no association with the risk of being underweight. Conclusion: Older people living alone do not seem to have worse dietary habits than those living with spouses or other family members, even though eating alone could be perceived as a negative experience and their diet is usually more “simplified” compared to their counterparts. Thus, implementing social strategies of conviviality may potentially impact more positively on these behaviors than dietary education only.