Texture-Modified Food Attitudes and Behaviours Are Culturally Patterned in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
4 affiliations
- 1Health and Social Sciences Cluster, Singapore Institute of Technology, 1 Punggol Coast Road, Singapore 828608, Singapore
- 2Food, Chemical and Biotechnology Cluster, Singapore Institute of Technology, 1 Punggol Coast Road, Singapore 828608, Singapore
- 3Precision Health, Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, 30 Biopolis Street, Singapore 138671, Singapore
- 4St. Luke’s ElderCare Ltd., 461 Clementi Road, Singapore 599491, Singapore
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Texture-modified (TM) food knowledge, attitudes and behaviours (KAB) among older adults remain poorly characterized in multi-ethnic populations. The study aims: (i) to characterize food liking, consumption frequency, and TM-related KAB among community-dwelling older adults in multi-ethnic Singapore; (ii) to examine whether TM-related KAB differs by ethnicity and other demographic factors, and (iii) to evaluate associations between TM-related KAB and food liking and eating frequency. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to April 2025 among 200 older adults (≥60 years) recruited at nine active ageing centres across Singapore. Participants rated liking and consumption frequency of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Western dishes and completed KAB items related to balanced diets, nutrient importance, TM foods, and sensory attributes of soft foods. Linear mixed-effects models adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, and body mass index were used to derive liking, frequency, and composite (liking–frequency) scores and to examine associations between KAB and food preferences. Results: Participants (mean age 72.7 ± 6.1 years) were 71.0% Chinese, 19.0% Malay and 10.0% Indian, with a proportion reporting dysphagia-related symptoms (5.0%) and chewing difficulties (10.0%). Compared with Chinese participants, Malay participants placed less emphasis on ease of chewing/swallowing (β = −0.860, Padj = 0.023) and soft-food aroma (β = −0.711, Padj = 0.030) but greater emphasis on maintaining a balanced diet when chewing becomes difficult (β = 0.602, Padj = 0.001). Conclusions: TM-related KAB varied markedly by ethnicity and cuisine but not by self-reported chewing or swallowing difficulty. These exploratory findings suggest that TM nutrition strategies tailored by ethnicity and cuisine may warrant further investigation to support healthy ageing.
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BibTeX
@article{tan2026texturemodified,
title = {{Texture-Modified Food Attitudes and Behaviours Are Culturally Patterned in Community-Dwelling Older Adults}},
author = {Verena M. H. Tan and Gary T. L. Chiah and Serene Y. L. Tan and Benjamin J. W. Chow and Meiyin Wang and Wen Wang and Jorry Dharmawan and Ives Y. Lim and Wai Yee Mah and Peng Peng Lim and Kenny B. L. Tan},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/nu18193231},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13666978},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Texture-Modified Food Attitudes and Behaviours Are Culturally Patterned in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
AU - Verena M. H. Tan
AU - Gary T. L. Chiah
AU - Serene Y. L. Tan
AU - Benjamin J. W. Chow
AU - Meiyin Wang
AU - Wen Wang
AU - Jorry Dharmawan
AU - Ives Y. Lim
AU - Wai Yee Mah
AU - Peng Peng Lim
AU - Kenny B. L. Tan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
JO - Nutrients
DO - 10.3390/nu18193231
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13666978
AB - Background/Objectives: Texture-modified (TM) food knowledge, attitudes and behaviours (KAB) among older adults remain poorly characterized in multi-ethnic populations. The study aims: (i) to characterize food liking, consumption frequency, and TM-related KAB among community-dwelling older adults in multi-ethnic Singapore; (ii) to examine whether TM-related KAB differs by ethnicity and other demographic factors, and (iii) to evaluate associations between TM-related KAB and food liking and eating frequency. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to April 2025 among 200 older adults (≥60 years) recruited at nine active ageing centres across Singapore. Participants rated liking and consumption frequency of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Western dishes and completed KAB items related to balanced diets, nutrient importance, TM foods, and sensory attributes of soft foods. Linear mixed-effects models adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, and body mass index were used to derive liking, frequency, and composite (liking–frequency) scores and to examine associations between KAB and food preferences. Results: Participants (mean age 72.7 ± 6.1 years) were 71.0% Chinese, 19.0% Malay and 10.0% Indian, with a proportion reporting dysphagia-related symptoms (5.0%) and chewing difficulties (10.0%). Compared with Chinese participants, Malay participants placed less emphasis on ease of chewing/swallowing (β = −0.860, Padj = 0.023) and soft-food aroma (β = −0.711, Padj = 0.030) but greater emphasis on maintaining a balanced diet when chewing becomes difficult (β = 0.602, Padj = 0.001). Conclusions: TM-related KAB varied markedly by ethnicity and cuisine but not by self-reported chewing or swallowing difficulty. These exploratory findings suggest that TM nutrition strategies tailored by ethnicity and cuisine may warrant further investigation to support healthy ageing.
SN - 2072-6643
ER -