Social aspects of eating events among people with intellectual disability in community living.
BACKGROUND
In Sweden, a process involving the de-institutionalisation of services and the establishment of community-based settings for people with intellectual disability has meant changes in meal arrangements. In the present study, we focus on the social arrangements of meals in community-based settings.


METHODS
Participant observations were used to study the meals as social events for 32 participants, 9 of whom lived in supported living and 23 in group homes.


RESULTS
Breakfast and dinner were often eaten alone, while lunch at the daily activity centre and the food eaten between meals (snacks) were mostly shared with other people. Meals for participants in supported living were seldom social, and meals for participants in the group homes often hierarchical.


CONCLUSIONS
The participants were often limited in choosing their company at meals, which typically consisted of other people with intellectual disability and staff. If they made such choices, they were dependent upon staff support to realise them.
Department of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, Uppsala University, Sweden. Paivi.Adolfsson@ikv.uu.se
Päivi
P
Adolfsson
Ylva
Y
Mattsson Sydner
Christina
C
Fjellström
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003688:Deinstitutionalization; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D016352:Group Homes; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019989:Persons with Intellectual Disabilities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012944:Social Support; D013548:Sweden