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‘ I come for the friendship’: Why social eating matters
Author(s) -
Boyer Kim,
Orpin Peter,
King Alexandra C
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/ajag.12285
Subject(s) - friendship , focus group , social isolation , psychology , isolation (microbiology) , sense of community , public relations , sociology , social psychology , political science , psychiatry , anthropology , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Objectives To explore an innovative social eating programme model for older T asmanians, Eating with Friends ( EWF ), from the perspectives of its participants, to establish how successfully it is meeting the organisational aims of strengthening community, reducing social isolation and enhancing mental well‐being. Methods Focus groups and in‐depth interviews, together with brief individual questionnaires, were undertaken with participants in four EWF groups: two urban and two rural, and with two well‐established and two recently established groups. Results The study found that EWF was meeting the social eating needs of its participants, doing so through nurturing a sense of community. Conclusion The flexible model used by EWF was key to its success in achieving its aims. This allowed individual groups to evolve in ways which fitted the needs and aspirations of participants. While participants enjoyed their meals, the social environment and meal settings were determining factors for ongoing participation in EWF .