Nutritional and social contribution of meat in diets: Interplays among young urban and rural men.

Considering the recent increase in the demand for meat and its subsequent implications for health and food security, there is an increasing need to explore its nutritional and social importance among young men in settings experiencing nutrition transition. A better understanding of meat in the diets of this group could contribute to the design of socio-culturally appropriate interventions to improve healthy eating, as these men are key decision makers in family food choices. This mixed-methods study aimed to assess the nutritional and social contribution of meat in the diet of young adult men in urban and rural Zambia. A food frequency questionnaire, multiple pass 24-h dietary recall, anthropometric measurements and a socio-demographic questionnaire were utilized while qualitative interviews explored the socio-cultural importance of meat consumption. Rural and urban participants had an isocaloric diet. All macronutrient intakes except carbohydrates were significantly higher in the urban population than the rural population (p < 0.01). Zinc intake was significantly greater in the urban than the rural sample (χ2 (39) = 40, p-value = 0.04). Except for vitamin A, calcium and folate, participants met the recommendations for all micronutrients. Regardless of being rural or urban, the higher the participant's level of education, the weaker the socio-cultural importance of meat. In both settings, increased consumption of meat was associated with prosperity, authority and respect within society. There are strong social and cultural beliefs among participants about meat consumption, reflecting the symbolic meaning in their customs. These findings could help improve the design and implementation of dietary interventions, incorporating specific cultural beliefs and socio-economic factors in the targeted population, to achieve healthy eating practices.

Social networks and their influences on nutrient intake, nutritional status and physical function in community-dwelling ethnically diverse older adults: a mixed-methods longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: The United Kingdom population is ageing and becoming increasingly diverse; thus, it is vital to develop and implement interventions supporting this population shift. Social networks (SN) significantly impact health outcomes in later life, however relatively little is known about SN of community-dwelling ethnically diverse older adults. This study aimed to: 1) profile SN and changes in SN in this population over 8 months; 2) examine associations between SN, dietary intake, nutritional status, and physical function. METHODS: SN were assessed using the Wenger Practitioner Assessment of Network Type. Energy and nutrient intakes were measured using multiple-pass 24-h recalls. The Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF) assessed nutritional status. Physical function was measured using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and handgrip strength. Data were collected at baseline and 8-months. Correlation and regression analyses examined relationships between SN, physical function, nutrient intake and nutritional status. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at baseline (n = 92) and follow-up (n = 81) to identify potential influences of SN. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using directed content analysis. RESULTS: Quantitative data were obtained from 100 participants at baseline and 81 at follow-up. Mean (SD) age was 70.8 (8.1) years (59% male), comprising African/Caribbean (60%), South Asian (34%), and other ethnicities (6%). Five SN typologies were identified under two broad areas: integrated-SN consisting of locally integrated (44%) and wider community (8%); and non-integrated-SN consisting of family dependent (25%), local self-contained (17%), and private restricted (6%). At follow-up, 37% remained in non-integrated networks, 19% transitioned to non-integrated networks, 11% transitioned to, and 33% remained in, integrated networks. Participants within integrated networks at baseline had higher SPPB scores at follow-up. Compared to the private restricted, local self-contained SN significantly predicted zinc, riboflavin and vitamin B6 intakes. Participants remaining in, or transitioning to, non-integrated networks had low MNA-SF scores. Qualitative findings indicate that participants with reductions in SN perceived it as causing poorer physical function and eating behaviours. CONCLUSION: In the present study, integrated SN were associated with higher physical function and nutritional status at 8-month's follow-up. These results can inform the design of interventions to improve social networks, physical function and healthy nutrition within this population.

A novel behavioural INTErvention to REduce Sitting Time in older adults undergoing orthopaedic surgery (INTEREST): results of a randomised-controlled feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis is a prevalent condition in older adults that causes many patients to require a hip or knee replacement. Reducing patients' sedentariness prior to surgery may improve physical function and post-operative outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a pragmatic randomised-controlled feasibility study with 2:1 allocation into intervention or usual care groups. The intervention, based on Self-Determination Theory, involved techniques to reduce sedentary behaviour, including motivational interviewing, setting of behavioural goals, and more. The primary outcome was feasibility, assessed using mixed methods. We included exploratory measures to inform a future definitive trial, such as ActivPal3 accelerometry to measure movement, the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Basic Psychological Needs, and cardiometabolic biomarkers. Assessments were at baseline, 1-week pre-surgery, and 6-week post-surgery. RESULTS: We recruited 35 participants aged ≥ 60 years approximately 8 weeks before hip or knee arthroplasty. Participant uptake rate was 14.2%, and retention rate 85.7%. Participants were very satisfied with the study which was found to be feasible with some modifications. Exploratory within-group comparisons found that the intervention has potential to improve SPPB by 0.71 points from baseline to pre-surgery, a clinically significant increase, and reduce sedentary time by up to 66 min d-1. CONCLUSION: In this older surgical population, it is feasible to use behavioural techniques to displace sedentary time to activity and to conduct a trial spanning the period of surgical intervention. This may improve physical function and surgical outcomes. The INTEREST intervention is now ready for evaluation in a full-scale randomised-controlled trial. REGISTRATION: This trial was registered on Clinicaltrials.gov on 13/11/2018. ID: NCT03740412.

Coproduced, arts interventions for nurturing care (0-5 years) in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs): a realist review.

OBJECTIVES: Community-based arts interventions have the potential to support contextually relevant nurturing care programmes and policies that adapt to different settings. Understanding the distinctive features of using the arts in local, culturally specific ways in low/middle-income countries (LMICs); how this varies by context; and gaining a better understanding of the perspectives on desirable outcomes for communities is important evidence that this review generates. DESIGN: We conducted a realist review of papers that covered outcomes related to child health or development (0-5 years) AND arts-based approaches AND community-based, participatory approaches AND based in LMICs using a range of databases and other networks. A coding framework was developed covering context, intervention, outcomes, mechanisms, study, sustainability, transferability and scalability. RESULTS: The included papers reported 18 unique interventions. Interventions covered 14 countries, with evidence lacking for South America, Arab countries and parts of Africa. Lead authors came from mostly clinical science-based disciplines and from institutions in a different country to the country/countries studied. Intended outcomes from interventions included clinical, health systems/organisation, changes in practices/behaviours/knowledge/attitudes, and wider social and educational goals. We identified three demi-regularities (semi-predictable patterns or pathways of programme functioning): participatory design based on valuing different sources of expertise; dynamic adaptation of intervention to context; and community participation in arts-based approaches. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that arts-based, nurturing care interventions have greater potential when they include local knowledge, embed into existing infrastructures and there is a clear plan for ongoing resourcing of the intervention. Studies with better documentation of the lessons learnt, regarding the intervention delivery process and the power dynamics involved, are needed to better understand what works, for whom and in which contexts.

Statistical analysis plan for cluster randomised trial to evaluate a community-level complementary food safety and hygiene and nutrition intervention in Mali: the MaaCiwara study.

BACKGROUND: Diarrheal disease is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in under-fives in many low- and middle-income countries. Changes in food safety, hygiene practices, and nutrition around the weaning period may reduce the risk of disease and improve infant development. The MaaCiwara study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based educational intervention designed to improve food safety and hygiene behaviours, as well as child nutrition. This update article describes the statistical analysis plan for the MaaCiwara study in detail. METHODS AND DESIGN: The MaaCiwara study is a parallel group, two-arm, superiority cluster randomised controlled trial with baseline measures, involving 120 clusters of rural and urban communities. These clusters are randomised to either receive the community-based behaviour change intervention or to the control group. The study participants will be mother-child pairs, with children aged between 6 and 36 months. Data collection involves a day of observation and interviews with each participating mother-child pair, conducted at baseline, 4 months, and 15 months post-intervention. The primary analysis aims to estimate the effectiveness of the intervention on changes to complementary food safety and preparation behaviours, food and water contamination, and diarrhoea. The primary outcomes will be analysed generalised linear mixed models, at individual level, accounting for clusters and rural/urban status to estimate the difference in outcomes between the intervention and control groups. Secondary outcomes include maternal autonomy, enteric infection, nutrition, child anthropometry, and development scores. In addition, structural equation analysis will be conducted to examine the causal relationships between the different outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) register: ISRCTN14390796 . Registered on 13 December 2021.

Transitioning food environments and diets of African migrants: implications for non-communicable diseases.

Non-communicable diseases disproportionately affect African migrants from sub-Saharan Africa living in high-income countries (HICs). Evidence suggests this is largely driven by forces that include migration, globalisation of unhealthy lifestyles (poor diet, physical inactivity and smoking), unhealthy food environments, socio-economic status and population ageing. Changes in lifestyle behaviours that accompany migration are exemplified primarily by shifts in dietary behaviours from more traditional diets to a diet that incorporates that of the host culture, which promotes the development of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and CVD. The current paper presents a critical analysis of dietary change and how this is influenced by the food environment and the socio-economic context following migration. We used a food systems framework to structure the discussion of the interaction of factors across the food system that shape food environments and subsequent dietary changes among African migrant populations living in HICs.

Protocol for a parallel group, two-arm, superiority cluster randomised trial to evaluate a community-level complementary-food safety and hygiene and nutrition intervention in Mali: the MaaCiwara study (version 1.3; 10 November 2022).

BACKGROUND: Diarrhoeal disease remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among the under-fives in many low- and middle-income countries. Changes to food safety practices and feeding methods around the weaning period, alongside improved nutrition, may significantly reduce the risk of disease and improve development for infants. We describe a protocol for a cluster randomised trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-faceted community-based educational intervention that aims to improve food safety and hygiene behaviours and enhance child nutrition. METHODS: We describe a mixed-methods, parallel group, two-arm, superiority cluster randomised controlled trial with baseline measures. One hundred twenty clusters comprising small urban and rural communities will be recruited in equal numbers and randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either treatment or control arms. The community intervention will be focussed around an ideal mother concept involving all community members during campaign days with dramatic arts and pledging, and follow-up home visits. Participants will be mother-child dyads (27 per cluster period) with children aged 6 to 36 months. Data collection will comprise a day of observation and interviews with each participating mother-child pair and will take place at baseline and 4 and 15 months post-intervention. The primary analysis will estimate the effectiveness of the intervention on changes to complementary-food safety and preparation behaviours, food and water contamination, and diarrhoea. Secondary outcomes include maternal autonomy, enteric infection, nutrition, child anthropometry, and development scores. A additional structural equation analysis will be conducted to examine the causal relationships between the different outcomes. Qualitative and health economic analyses including process evaluation will be done. CONCLUSIONS: The trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness of community-based behavioural change interventions designed to reduce the burden of diarrhoeal disease in the under-fives and how effectiveness varies across different contexts. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN14390796. Registration date December 13, 2021.

Socioeconomic Determinants of Cardiovascular Diseases, Obesity, and Diabetes among Migrants in the United Kingdom: A Systematic Review.

There has been little agreement on the role that socioeconomic factors play in the aetiology of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), obesity, and diabetes among migrants in the United Kingdom (UK). We systematically reviewed the existing evidence on this association to contribute to filling this gap in the literature. Two reviewers were involved at each stage of the review process to ensure validity. We comprehensively searched through several electronic databases and grey literature sources to identify potentially eligible papers for our review. We extracted data from our finally included studies and appraised the methodological rigour of our studies. A narrative synthesis approach was used to synthesise and interpret the extracted data. We sieved through 2485 records identified from our search and finally obtained 10 studies that met our inclusion criteria. The findings of this review show that there is a trend towards an association between socioeconomic factors and CVDs, diabetes, and obesity among migrants in the UK. However, the picture was more complex when specific socioeconomic variables and migrant subgroups were analysed. The evidence for this association is inconclusive and its causal relationship remains speculative. There is, therefore, the need for further research to understand the exact association between socioeconomic factors and CVD, diabetes, and obesity among migrants in the UK.

The prevalence of frailty and pre-frailty among geriatric hospital inpatients and its association with economic prosperity and healthcare expenditure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 467,779 geriatric hospital inpatients.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is a common and clinically significant condition among geriatric populations. Although well-evidenced pooled estimates of the prevalence of frailty exist within various settings and populations, presently there are none assessing the overall prevalence of frailty among geriatric hospital inpatients. The purpose of this review was to systematically search and analyse the prevalence of frailty among geriatric hospital inpatients within the literature and examine its associations with national economic indicators. METHODS: Systematic searches were conducted on Ovid, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL Plus, and the Cochrane Library, encompassing all literature published prior to 22 November 2018, supplemented with manual reference searches. Included studies utilised a validated operational definition of frailty, reported the prevalence of frailty, had a minimum age ≥ 65 years, attempted to assess the whole ward/clinical population, and occurred among hospital inpatients. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality. RESULTS: Ninety-six studies with a pooled sample of 467,779 geriatric hospital inpatients were included. The median critical appraisal score was 8/9 (range 7-9). The pooled prevalence of frailty, and pre-frailty, among geriatric hospital inpatients was 47.4% (95% CI 43.7-51.1%), and 25.8% (95% CI 22.0-29.6%), respectively. Significant differences were observed in the prevalence of frailty stratified by age, prevalent morbidity, ward type, clinical population, and operational definition. No significant differences were observed in stratified analyses by sex or continent, or significant associations between the prevalence of frailty and economic indicators. CONCLUSIONS: Frailty is highly prevalent among geriatric hospital inpatients. High heterogeneity exists within this setting based on various clinical and demographic characteristics. Pooled estimates reported in this review place the prevalence of frailty among geriatric hospital inpatients between that reported for community-dwelling older adults and older adults in nursing homes, outlining an increase in the relative prevalence of frailty with progression through the healthcare system.

Knowledge of Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines is Not Associated with Physical Function in Dutch Older Adults Attending a Healthy Ageing Public Engagement Event.

Purpose: Evidence-based guidelines on nutrition and physical activity are used to increase knowledge in order to promote a healthy lifestyle. However, actual knowledge of guidelines is limited and whether it is associated with health outcomes is unclear. Participants and Methods: This inception cohort study aimed to investigate the association of knowledge of nutrition and physical activity guidelines with objective measures of physical function and physical activity in community-dwelling older adults attending a public engagement event in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Knowledge of nutrition and physical activity according to Dutch guidelines was assessed using customized questionnaires. Gait speed and handgrip strength were proxies of physical function and the Minnesota Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess physical activity in minutes/week. Linear regression analysis, stratified by gender and adjusted for age, was used to study the association between continuous and categorical knowledge scores with outcomes. Results: In 106 older adults (mean age=70.1 SD=6.6, years) who were highly educated, well-functioning, and generally healthy, there were distinct knowledge gaps in nutrition and physical activity which did not correlate with one another (R2=0.013, p=0.245). Knowledge of nutrition or physical activity guidelines was not associated with physical function or physical activity. However, before age-adjustment nutrition knowledge was positively associated with HGS in males (B= 0.64 (95% CI: 0.05, 1.22)) and having knowledge above the median was associated with faster gait speed in females (B=0.10 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.19)). Conclusion: Our findings may represent a ceiling effect of the impact knowledge has on physical function and activity in the this high performing and educated population and that there may be other determinants of behavior leading to health status such as attitude and perception to consider in future studies.

Food Security in Ghanaian Urban Cities: A Scoping Review of the Literature.

Urbanisation in Ghana could be negatively impacting the state of food security, especially in economically vulnerable groups. Food supply, safety, and quality are all aspects of food security which could be impacted. We conducted a scoping literature review to understand the nature and magnitude of evidence available on the urban food security situation in Ghana. A literature search was conducted in Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Global Health, Scopus, Web of Science, Africa Wide Information and Google Scholar to identify relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature. 45 studies, mainly cross-sectional surveys/food samples analysis, met the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies were concentrated in the Greater Accra Region (n = 24). Most studies focused on food safety and quality (n = 31). Studies on supply and stability were, however, scarce. Qualitative research methods were uncommon in the included studies. The existing literature on food security are concentrated in two regions: The Greater Accra and Ashanti regions. Future studies exploring food security in urban Ghana should focus on exploring the lived experiences and perceptions of food insecurity and food stability by urban-dwellers using qualitative methods. The evidence suggesting that the safety/quality of foods sold in Ghanaian markets is poor should be a concern to consumers and policy makers.

Clinical and cost-effectiveness of bracing in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis management: protocol for a multicentre, primary care, randomised, parallel-group, superiority trial.

BACKGROUND: Brace effectiveness for knee osteoarthritis (OA) remains unclear and international guidelines offer conflicting recommendations. Our trial will determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of adding knee bracing (matched to patients' clinical and radiographic presentation and with adherence support) to a package of advice, written information and exercise instruction delivered by physiotherapists. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A multicentre, pragmatic, two-parallel group, single-blind, superiority, randomised controlled trial with internal pilot and nested qualitative study. 434 eligible participants with symptomatic knee OA identified from general practice, physiotherapy referrals and self-referral will be randomised 1:1 to advice, written information and exercise instruction and knee brace versus advice, written information and exercise instruction alone. The primary analysis will be intention-to-treat comparing treatment arms on the primary outcome (Knee Osteoarthritis Outcomes Score (KOOS)-5) (composite knee score) at the primary endpoint (6 months) adjusted for prespecified covariates. Secondary analysis of KOOS subscales (pain, other symptoms, activities of daily living, function in sport and recreation, knee-related quality of life), self-reported pain, instability (buckling), treatment response, physical activity, social participation, self-efficacy and treatment acceptability will occur at 3, 6, and 12 months postrandomisation. Analysis of covariance and logistic regression will model continuous and dichotomous outcomes, respectively. Treatment effect estimates will be presented as mean differences or ORs with 95% CIs. Economic evaluation will estimate cost-effectiveness. Semistructured interviews to explore acceptability and experiences of trial interventions will be conducted with participants and physiotherapists delivering interventions. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: North West Preston Research Ethics Committee, the Health Research Authority and Health and Care Research in Wales approved the study (REC Reference: 19/NW/0183; IRAS Reference: 247370). This protocol has been coproduced with stakeholders including patients and public. Findings will be disseminated to patients and a range of stakeholders. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN28555470.

The association between nutrient intake, nutritional status and physical function of community-dwelling ethnically diverse older adults.

BACKGROUND: There are limited longitudinal data regarding nutrient intake, nutritional status and physical function in community-dwelling ethnically diverse older adults. This study explored these variables and their relationship at baseline (n = 100) and 8-months' follow-up (n = 81) among community-dwelling ethnically diverse older adults (≥60 years) in Birmingham, United Kingdom. METHODS: Multiple-pass 24-h dietary recalls and the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form assessed nutritional intake and status, respectively. Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and handgrip strength measured physical function. Linear and multinomial regressions were used to predict relationships between physical function, nutritional status and nutrient intake. RESULTS: Complete data were collected at baseline (n = 100) and 8-months' follow-up (n = 81). Mean (SD) age was 70 (8.1) years (60% male), with 62% being obese. Statistically significant decreases in intakes of vitamin B6, vitamin B1, iron, folate, and magnesium occurred over time. Daily intake of all micronutrients except vitamin B12, phosphorus and manganese were below the Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNI). SPPB (Z = -4.01, p < 0.001) and nutritional status (Z = -2.37, p = 0.018) declined over time. Higher SPPB scores at baseline (OR = 0.54 95% CI 0.35, 0.81) were associated with a slower decline in nutritional status. CONCLUSION: The observed declines and inadequate nutrient intakes in the absence of weight loss in just 8 months may pose serious challenges to healthy ageing, identifying an urgent need to re-evaluate and tailor appropriate dietary advice for this population. Additionally, the associations of nutrition and physical function observed in this study serves as an essential resource to design and implement community/faith-based interventions targeting early screening of nutritional status and physical function to ensure most older adults are assessed and treated accordingly.

The association of dietary patterns with cognition through the lens of neuroimaging-a Systematic review.

Despite the reported benefits of diet on cognition in older adults, randomized controlled trials (RCT) testing the impact of dietary interventions on cognitive scores have yielded less promising results when cognition was assessed via neuropsychological tests. More recently, neuroimaging has been used to identify more subtle brain-related changes associated to cognition. Hence, employing a combination of neuroimaging techniques with neuropsychological tests could clarify this controversy. To determine the effect of diet on cognitive performance, we conducted a systematic review of PubMed and Scopus databases for all studies, on middle-aged and older adults, combining neuroimaging, neuropsychological tests, and data on dietary patterns. The inclusion criteria were met by 14 observational studies and no RCTs. The range of brain measures assessed varied from volumes to white matter integrity, functional connectivity, brain glucose metabolism and beta-amyloid deposition. Given the variability of methods used in assessing cognitive performance, diet and brain correlates, conducting a meta-analysis was not possible. Here the evidence suggests that, in observational studies, dietary patterns may be associated with brain correlates that have been shown to precede cognitive decline. As such, neuroimaging should be included in future RCTs to identify any benefits of diet on brain measures linked with cognitive health.

Frailty Levels In Geriatric Hospital paTients (FLIGHT)-the prevalence of frailty among geriatric populations within hospital ward settings: a systematic review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Frailty is a common and clinically significant condition in geriatric populations, associated with adverse health outcomes such as hospitalisation, disability and mortality. Although there are systematic reviews/meta-analyses assessing the prevalence of frailty in community-dwelling older adults, nursing home residents, and cancer and general surgery patients, there are none assessing the overall prevalence of frailty in geriatric hospital inpatients. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This review will systematically search and analyse the prevalence of frailty within geriatric hospital inpatients within the literature. A search will be employed on the platforms of Ovid, Web of Science and databases of Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Plus, SCOPUS and the Cochrane Library. Any observational or experimental study design which utilises a validated operational definition of frailty, reports the prevalence of frailty, has a minimum age ≥65 years, attempts to assess the whole ward/clinical population and occurs in hospital inpatients, will be included. Title and abstract and full-text screenings will be conducted by three reviewers. Methodological quality of eligible studies will be assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool. Data extraction will be performed by two reviewers. If sufficient data are available, a meta-analysis synthesising pooled estimates of the prevalence of frailty and pre-frailty, as well as the prevalence of frailty stratified by age, sex, operational frailty definition, prevalent morbidities, ward type and location, among older hospitalised inpatients will be conducted. Clinical heterogeneity will be assessed by two reviewers. Statistical heterogeneity will be assessed through a Cochran Q test, and an I 2 test performed to assess its magnitude. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was not required as primary data will not be collected. Findings will be disseminated through publication in peer reviewed open access scientific journals, public engagement events, conference presentations and social media. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: 79202.

Perceptions and Factors Influencing Eating Behaviours and Physical Function in Community-Dwelling Ethnically Diverse Older Adults: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study.

Ethnic minorities have a high prevalence of non-communicable diseases relating to unhealthy lifestyle practices. Several factors have been identified as influencing unhealthy lifestyle practices among this population; however, there is little evidence about how these factors differ among a heterogeneous sample living in a super-diverse city. This study aimed to: (1) identify and compare factors influencing eating behaviours and physical function among ethnic older minorities living in Birmingham, United Kingdom; and (2) understand how these factors and their association with healthy eating and physical function changed over 8-months. An in-depth interviewing approach was used at baseline (n = 92) and after 8-months (n = 81). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using directed content analysis. Healthy eating was viewed as more important than, and unrelated to, physical function. Personal, social and cultural/environmental factors were identified as the main factors influencing eating behaviours and physical function, which differed by ethnicity, age, and sex. At 8-month interviews, more men than women reported adverse changes. The study provides unique and useful insights regarding perceived eating behaviours and physical function in a relatively large and diverse sample of older adults that can be used to design new, and adapt existing, culturally-tailored community interventions to support healthy ageing.