Exploring the functional mealtime associations of older adults through consumer segmentation and a means-end chain approach.

Senior consumers are a rapidly growing and highly heterogeneous part of the world's population. This group does not always meet its recommended protein intake, which can negatively impact on their physical functioning and quality of life. To date, little is known about their motivations to consume protein-rich meals.

That's why I take my ONS. Means-end chain as a novel approach to elucidate the personally relevant factors driving ONS consumption in nutritionally frail elderly users.

Oral nutritional supplements (ONS) are a recommended form of nutritional intervention for older malnourished persons when a 'food first' approach and/or food fortification prove ineffective. The efficacy of ONS will depend on, amongst other factors, whether persons do, or do not, consume their prescribed amount. Factors influencing ONS consumption can be product, context, or person related.

It is not just a meal, it is an emotional experience - a segmentation of older persons based on the emotions that they associate with mealtimes.

Worldwide, the group of older persons is growing fast. To aid this important group in their food and meal requirements, a deeper insight into the expectations and experiences of these persons regarding their mealtimes and snack times is needed. In the current study, we aim to identify consumer segments within the group of vital community-dwelling older persons on the basis of the emotions they associate with their mealtimes and snack times (from now on referred to as mealtimes).