Prácticas alimentarias de personas adultas mayores durante la pandemia por COVID-19 y creencias asociadas

Vollständiger Abstract

Worum geht es in dieser Arbeit?

COVID-19 lockdown measures restricted mobility, particularly among older adults, limiting their access to food and modifying their dietary practices. These practices are closely linked to health beliefs, which have been widely studied through the Health Belief Model (HBM). However, the HBM does not fully incorporate the sociocultural context or the motivations that influence adherence to preventive measures. The aim of this study was to analyze how older adults associated the possibility of contracting COVID-19 with their dietary practices by adap- ting the HBM dimensions into a semi-structured interview guide applied exploratorily between August and November 2022. Data were analyzed using Atlas.ti to identify patterns and cons- truct categories. The retrospective nature of the study made it possible to reconstruct expe- riences from critical stages of the pandemic. Some participants maintained their dietary practi- ces based on prior medical recommendations related to chronic-degenerative diseases rather than perceived risk of infection, while others did not associate diet with contracting the virus. The findings highlight both the usefulness and the limitations of the HBM, as not all its dimensions emerged in participants’ narratives. The study underscores the need to further develop methodological approaches to assess health beliefs and dietary practices among older adults.