tap) to make infant formula, and young children's bottled water intake. Mothers with friends or family in Flint during the Flint Water Crisis also drank more bottled water and gave their children bottled water more often than mothers without. Mothers' negative perceptions of tap water in general were associated with greater sugar-sweetened beverage intake among mothers and young children. On average, mothers spent $27/month on bottled water. Conclusion: Distrust of tap water is common among lowincome Michigan mothers. This distrust creates an economic and health burden due to reliance on bottled water and may increase socioeconomic inequalities in nutrition. Community-based interventions that improve trust and increase knowledge of tap water safety among low-income women are needed.

Objective: As older adults are at higher risk for severe illness and mortality from SARS-CoV-2 infection, social distancing has been a primary means of mitigating risk. However, this lifestyle change may impact eating habits and food choices. The aim of this study was to explore individual and interpersonal factors affecting the eating behaviours and dietary intake of community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative data were analysed using a deductive content analysis approach to identify themes. Setting: Southeastern United States Participants: Twenty-three men and women, 60 years of age and older (mean age 71·9 ± 7·7, 22 % male), completed both the interview and questionnaire. Results: Themes that emerged at the individual level included changes in eating habits and foods eaten, with most participants reporting healthier food choices during the pandemic. Participants also reported more frequent cooking, improved cooking skills and cooking as a form of stress relief. Although some older adults described increased snacking and consumption of ‘comfort foods’, others noted no influence of mood on food choices. At the interpersonal level, an increased use of technology for social interaction and the importance of social support were identified as influencing factors. Conclusions: Findings provide insight on how to help older adults maintain good nutrition amidst lifestyle changes imposed by social distancing. Nutrition educators may capitalise on positive behaviour changes that occurred during the pandemic such as increased cooking and increased use of technology for social interaction.

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Objectives Due to increased risk of social isolation caused by COVID-19, this study was conducted to understand changes in health behaviors among older adults, particularly concerning means of social interaction. Methods Community dwelling adults ages 60 and older completed qualitative individual interviews via Zoom and a 24 item online survey, the Questionnaire for Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Older Adults. Data were analyzed using directed content analysis and descriptive statistics. Results A total of 23 participants completed interviews and 25 completed online surveys. Participants were mainly female (72%), white (96%), with a mean age of 71.96 years. Nineteen (76%) participants were very concerned by the pandemic, and only one participant was not at all concerned. Participants frequently reported more interactions with their immediate family. Only five (20%) reported communicating with close friends and family less often than before the pandemic began. Seven (28%) reported communicating with friends and family more often than before and about half (52%) reported that their frequency of communication was “about the same” as pre-pandemic. Twenty-one (84%) participants communicated with others daily or at least several times per week. However, participants reported less face-to-face interaction and increased use of technology, such as virtual happy hours. All participants stayed in touch with others by phone calls (100%). Other often used means of communication were texting (92%), video calls (68%), email (68%), social media (52%), and postal mail (48%). Participants also reported some social gatherings with individuals bringing their own food and social distancing maintained. Despite this, 16 participants (64%) reported feeling isolated from others sometimes or often. Conclusions Although many older adults have adjusted their usual behaviors to stay in contact with others during the pandemic, this study found that most still felt isolated. Long-term feelings of isolation and lack of social support may compromise nutrition for this population. Therefore, it is crucial that nutrition professionals incorporate aspects of social support when working with these individuals. Funding Sources Julie O'Sullivan Maillet Research Grant Award funded by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation (ANDF).

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