Exploring the motivations to use online meal delivery platforms: Before and during quarantine

Background and Objectives: Meals on Wheels (MOW) programs provide home-delivered meals to over 1.5 million older adults; yet, very little is known about the drivers who make meal deliveries possible. Specifically, we do not have clear insight into their interaction with clients or the benefits that they may receive through their service. The objective of this article is to describe the characteristics of MOW drivers, the interactions among drivers and clients, and the benefits of the program to both. Research Design and Method: This qualitative research study reports on interviews with 84 MOW staff (leadership, case managers/client assessors, volunteer coordinators) and drivers at six geographically and operationally distinct programs across the United States. Results: Qualitative analysis of the interviews with MOW staff and drivers revealed the following key themes: (a) clients have multiple vulnerabilities; (b) clients appear to derive social, as well as nutritional benefit from receiving meals; (c) drivers report they provide additional support to their clients beyond delivering the meal; (d) social bonds between drivers and clients were reported to strengthen over time; (e) drivers claim that they, too, derive validation and personal benefit through their meal delivery. Discussion and Implications: This research highlights the significant contributions that meal delivery drivers made in the lives of MOW clients beyond the actual meal itself. This research also spotlights the perceived benefits experienced by the drivers and points to the importance of conducting further research to determine the effects of meal delivery on client and drivers’ outcomes, more broadly.

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A Journey to Improved Inpatient Glycemic Control by Redesigning Meal Delivery and Insulin Administration

Clinical Nurse Specialist ◽

10.1097/nur.0000000000000190 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 117-124 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Martha Engle ◽

Allison Ferguson ◽

Willa Fields

Keyword(s):

Glycemic Control ◽

Insulin Administration ◽

Meal Delivery

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Multiple factor analysis of eating patterns to detect groups at risk of malnutrition among home-dwelling older subjects in 2015

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023548 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. e023548

Author(s):

Marc-Antoine Sanchez ◽

Didier Armaingaud ◽

Yasmine Messaoudi ◽

Aude Letty ◽

Rachid Mahmoudi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Factor Analysis ◽

Food Intake ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Eating Patterns ◽

Multiple Factor Analysis ◽

Older Subjects ◽

Multiple Factor ◽

Group 1 ◽

Meal Delivery

ObjectiveWe aimed to describe eating patterns among home-dwelling older subjects to establish typologies of eaters at higher or lower risk of malnutrition.DesignCross-sectional study between June and September 2015 using a standardised questionnaire. The questionnaire was given to home-help employees (responsible for delivering meals to home-dwelling older persons and helping them to eat). The employees were asked to complete the questionnaire three times during the same week, for the same older adults, in order to identify the totality of their food intake.SettingRegistered customers of the home meal delivery company ‘Azaé’ (France).Participants605 older home-dwelling persons were randomly selected among customers served by the home meal delivery company.OutcomesMultiple factor analysis was used to understand the different modes of food consumption and to establish eating profiles. Hierarchical classification was performed to construct eating profiles corresponding to the dietary habits of the respondents.ResultsAverage age of the older adults was 85.3 years; 73.5% were women. Overall, 59% of participants reported that they ate out of habit, while 33.7% said they ate for pleasure. We identified four different groups of eaters, at varying levels of risk for malnutrition. Individuals in group 4 had the highest food intake in terms of quantity; and were less dependent than individuals in group 1 (p=0.05); group 1 was at highest risk of malnutrition.ConclusionImproved understanding of eating habits can help detect risky behaviours and help caregivers to promote better nutrition among home-dwelling older subjects.

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Abstract 14055: Impact of a Boxed Meal Facilitated Plant-based Diet on Cardiometabolic Endpoints: A Clinical Trial

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.142.suppl_3.14055 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽

Author(s):

Amanda L Keller ◽

Sanaz Ziad ◽

Allison M Stephens ◽

Elizabeth A Tesch ◽

Joseph Sky ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Dietary Intervention ◽

Clinical Endpoints ◽

Intention To Treat ◽

Delivery Services ◽

Student’S T ◽

The Military ◽

The Impact ◽

Omnivorous Diet ◽

Meal Delivery

Background: Plant-based diets (PBD) are increasingly recommended to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Boxed meal-delivery services are a growing market facilitating consumer convenience; however, their effects on health require further study. We compared cardiometabolic changes between a boxed meal facilitated PBD (f-PBD) and Standard Omnivorous Diet (f-SOD). Methods: A prospective, controlled, parallel-designed trial assessing the impact of a f-PBD (n=16) to a f-SOD (n=16) on cardiometabolic endpoints was conducted in military beneficiaries. Participants with a BMI >25 kg/m 2 consuming a standard omnivorous diet volunteered to adopt a f-PBD or f-SOD for a 4-week period. Participants had the option to consume breakfast and lunch according to their adopted diet at the military dining facility. Dinner was facilitated by shipping a commercially available plant-based or standard omnivorous boxed meal kit to participants as appropriate. Lipid parameters were monitored at baseline and at 4 weeks. Weight, blood pressure (BP) and other clinical endpoints were assessed weekly. The primary endpoints were change from baseline at 4 weeks in calculated low-density lipoproteins (LDL-c) and weight. A student’s t-test was performed to assess differences between groups using the intention-to-treat methodology. Results: A total of 32 participants were enrolled in the f-PBD and f-SOD groups. Average age of participants was 33.3±7.8 years, BMI was 29.6±3.5 kg/m 2 and 50% were male. Change in LDL-c from baseline in the f-PBD and f-SOD groups were -9.41±21.7 mg/dl and +5.63±15.9 mg/dl, respectively (p=0.033). The change in weight from baseline in the f-PBD and f-SOD groups were -3.82±4.4 pounds and +0.87±2.7 pounds, respectively (p=0.001). Systolic BP decreased non-significantly in the f-PBD group (-4.88±5.4 mmHg vs -0.38±9.2 mmHg for f-PBD and f-SOD, respectively, p=0.103). Conclusion: Incorporating a meal-delivery f-PBD significantly reduced LDL-c and weight over a 4-week period. Plant-based meal kits could serve as a novel dietary intervention in the optimization of cardiovascular disease burden.

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