Mealtime interventions typically focus on institutionalised older adults, but we wanted to investigate whether they may also be effective among those living independently. Using a randomised controlled trial design, we assessed the effects of a novel mealtime intervention on self-efficacy, food enjoyment and energy intake. A total of 100 adults living alone aged over 60 years were randomised to the treatment or control conditions: all received a guidebook on nutrition and culinary skills. Treatment group participants received a weekly visit from a trained volunteer who prepared and shared a meal with them. Participants in the treatment group showed improvements relative to those in the control group at borderline significance (P=0·054) for self-efficacy and at significance for food enjoyment. Significant improvements were observed in female participants in the treatment but not in the control group in energy intake (although following corrections for multiple comparisons, only the effect on food enjoyment remained significant). These findings will inform the design of future complex interventions. For this type of intervention to be successful, more focus has to be placed on making interventions more personalised, potentially according to sex. Findings are important for nutritional sciences as they indicate that, in order to improve energy intake and food enjoyment among older adults, multimodal nutritional interventions including social components may be successful.

Volunteers found their involvement in the intervention to be personally beneficial, and revealed some valuable considerations for the researchers to take forward to future research. Results are pertinent to intervention design and could inform future social cognitive and other peer-oriented interventions for older adults living alone.

Background: This narrative review aimed to identify gender-related differences in multiple cardiovascular disease treatments and to provide an overview of the possible causes to aid in establishment of a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk profile. Methods: A narrative review methodology was used. A systematic search of two databases, PubMed and CINAHL, sourced 245 articles. Results: Seven articles met the inclusion criteria. Three recurrent themes emerged from the literature. These were gender differences in the burden of CVD, gender differences in symptom presentation and gender differences in management and treatment of CVD. Conclusion: CVD can be expressed differently in women and men. Different approaches to diagnosis and treatment are required. The studies included in this review reflect findings reported in research conducted more than 10 years ago, suggesting that more focus is needed to define and add gender-related indicators to current risk assessments and management strategies.

Background To address the paucity of literature regarding the relationship between mild cognitive impairment and physical activity engagement, this study aimed to understand the relative contribution of cognitive, demographic, physical and psychological variables related to physical activity engagement in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Method This was a descriptive, cross – sectional study of secondary data from 62 participants with MCI (mean age 70.53, SD = 6.34), 53.2% female, median MoCA 23 (IQR: 20, 24)) from the NeuroExercise study, a 12 – month PA intervention on the outcome of cognitive function. The independent variable of interest was global cognitive function. Age, gender, years of education, number of medications, handgrip strength, depression, and quality of life were treated as covariates. The dependent variable was PA engagement in minutes per week, using the LAPAQ physical activity questionnaire and the Actigraph triaxial accelerometer device. Results Hierarchical regression analyses showed no significant effect of cognitive function on physical activity engagement after controlling for the effects of covariates. Physical activity engagement was low relative to global physical activity guidelines ((M = 111.38, SD = 94.29) Actigraph ( t (51) = -2.95, p < .005) and the LAPAQ (M = 51.71, SD = 22.80), t (61) = -33.94, p = < .001)). A Bland- Altman measure of agreement demonstrated that objective and subjective measures of physical activity were not equivalent. Conclusions This sample of adults with MCI were not sufficiently physically active. Further, there was substantial variability between objective and subjective measures of physical activity engagement. Objective measurement of PA data may be more reliable for adults with mild cognitive impairment.