The Occupational Performance Measure of Food Activities: Item Pool Development and Measurement Properties

Abstract

Enjoyment of food and adequate nutrition are essential contributors to a good quality of life as people age (American Dietetic Association 2005). Older adults participate in various food activities, such as grocery shopping, preparing simple and complex meals, and managing their diet, in order to both enjoy their food and eat well. Yet one in ten community-living adults aged over 65 years in the United Kingdom (UK) is at risk of malnutrition (European Nutrition for Health Alliance 2006), while at least four in ten older adults admitted to hospital in the UK are malnourished (Age Concern 2007, Age UK 2010, European Nutrition for Health Alliance 2005). When nutritional risk is not improved, resulting malnutrition may lead to further dependence and disability, increased length of hospital stay and costs of treatment, and an increased risk of death (Bartali et al 2006, Feldblum et al 2009). The occupational performance of food activities is, therefore, a key domain of concern for occupational therapists. Occupational performance includes both the objective ability to perform an activity and the subjective level of satisfaction with this performance (Creek 2003, Law et al 1997, Law and Baum 2001). For this study, we defined the occupational performance of food activities as: An individual's ability to do the food activities that are meaningful to them, in a way that satisfies their life needs, within the context of their environment, life stage, and life roles.

The Development and Validation of the Planning to Make Meals Performance Measure

“…Current programs seeking to decrease the negative health consequences caused by obesity or diabetes often strive to enhance cooking and food-related skills (Alpaugh et al, 2020; Karimi et al, 2020) but rely on self-report measures to capture changes in skill level. In addition, individuals with schizophrenia as well as the aging population have been identified as at risk for health problems due to food- and cooking-related challenges (Hamera & Brown, 2000; Plastow et al, 2014).…”

Eating Experiences of People with Disabilities: A Qualitative Study in Spain

“…Occupational models of eating practices [34] take into account, at least theoretically, the multidimensional nature of the process. The process of eating involves more than physical and physiological needs-it must be considered from a holistic perspective that includes aspects of identity, as well as social and cultural components [35,36], transcending the classical categories of self-care, productivity, and leisure that occupational therapy has traditionally prioritised [37].…”

Factors Affecting Food-Related Activity Performance in Low-Income Older Adults

“…These questions provided the research team with more specific insights into the health of participants. (Plastow et al 2014)-Participants used a scale of 1 to 10 to rate the importance of, performance of, and satisfaction with five different food activities. The results from the OPMF provided data on participants' self-perception of engaging in food-related activities.…”