Operation and Process Evaluation of a Community Meal Program for the Elderly in Rural Areas during Agricultural Off-Season Perceived by Cooking Volunteers / 대한지역사회영양학회지
A survey was conducted from December 12 to December 22, 2016. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 150 cookingvolunteers, who had participated in the communitymeal program in 50 villages. A total of 114 responses were returned from 44 villages and used for data analysis. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with the volunteers of eight villages.
RESULTS:
Most of the cookingvolunteers were 50 years old or older and they participated in serving older adultsmeals for good will. The cookingvolunteers perceived that the older adults in their community did not eat various foods, had difficulties in grocery shopping, and frequently consumed salty foods. During the agricultural off-season, 40.9% of villages served the older adultsmeals 6–7 days a week and 95.5% provided meals for lunch. An average of 21 to 40 older adults were served meals in each village. The cookingvolunteers reported that the food preparation and meal service times were sufficient, recipes provided were useful, and menus met the preference of the older adults. At the end of the program, they felt proud of serving meals for older adults in the community. An increased awareness of healthy eating, interest in health, and consumption of nutritious meals, a decrease in loneliness among older adults, and the promotion of fellowship in the community were rated highly. The cookingvolunteers expected additional support for cookingpersonnel and insisted that the program should be provided for the entire agricultural off-seasons.