SEFARI fellowship: the older population and foodborne illness

Dear City Voice Panel member,

I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Ellen Evans, I’m a researcher specialising in food behaviour at the ZERO2FIVE Food and Drink Research Unit. As a member of the City Voice Panel, you have indicated that you would be interested in being informed about opportunities to participate in other research studies, therefore I would like to invite you to participate in an exciting research project titled: “Understanding the Impact of Lifestyle on the Food Choices of People Over 65 in Scotland”.

The purpose of the study is to gain insights into the experiences and practices of people over 65 in Scotland regarding their food habits and how these may evolve over time. We want to understand the factors that positively or negatively impact your relationship with food. This includes the influence of health conditions, such as diabetes or visual impairments, as well as changes in living situations, like living with adult children or coping with the loss of a partner/spouse. We will also discuss practical and financial aspects of food shopping. We believe that your unique perspective would greatly contribute to the success of this study.

Your participation would involve taking part in a group discussion held at the Rowett Institute Ashgrove Road West, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, to be scheduled for mid-May. A participant information sheet detailing what is involved is included for your information.

As a token of our gratitude for your time and contribution in the group discussion, you will receive a £25 voucher or a charitable donation of your choice.

If you are interested in participating, please contact me using the contact details below. Your timely response is greatly appreciated, as it will help me plan the research project. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. 
Thank you for considering this invitation. We value your potential contribution and look forward to your involvement in advancing our research.

Sincerely,

Dr Ellen W. Evans – Reader in Food Behaviour

Understanding the Factors that Influence Food Choices Among People Aged 65 and Over in Scotland.

Introduction: You are invited to participate in our research study, which seeks to explore the factors that influence the food choices of people aged over 65 in Scotland. Before deciding to take part, we want to ensure that you have a clear understanding of the study's purpose. Please read the participant information sheet. If you have any questions please contact the researcher.

Purpose of the study: Our research aims to gain insights into the experiences, perceptions, and practices of adults aged 65 and above in Scotland regarding their food habits and how these may evolve over time. We want to understand the factors that positively or negatively impact your relationship with food. This includes the influence of health conditions, such as diabetes or visual impairments, as well as changes in living situations, like living with adult children or coping with the loss of a partner/spouse. We will also discuss practical and financial aspects of food shopping. While we have prepared questions to guide our discussions, our primary goal is to have open and honest conversations about your experiences with shopping, cooking, and eating. Your unique experiences are valuable to us.

• Who can take part: We are seeking two groups of participants:
  People aged 65 and above: Individuals aged 65 and above living in Scotland, regardless of your level of involvement in food shopping and cooking.
• Supporting Individuals: Individuals aged 18 and above who provide support to people aged 65 and above in Scotland with their food shopping and cooking.

PLEASE NOTE - YOU MUST LIVE IN SCOTLAND TO BE ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THIS STUDY.

Study involvement: Attend one in-person discussion group (around 2-hours in duration).

Benefits of taking part: As a token of our gratitude for your participation in the group discussion, you will receive a £25 voucher that can be used at various shops or a charitable donation to a cause of your choice.

Researcher contact details: Dr Ellen Evans, at elevans@cardiffmet.ac.uk or call 02920205836 or 07867176544.

Which of these applies to you?

• People over the age of 65 in Scotland
• People who support a person over 65 with their food shopping and cooking

Thank you for agreeing to participate in one of the discussion groups. Please complete each section below to confirm that you consent to participate in the study.

• I confirm that I live in Scotland
• I confirm that I have read and understood the information sheet for this study. I have had the opportunity to consider the information, ask questions and have had these answered satisfactorily.
• I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to stop participation at any time during data collection without giving any reason.
• I understand that due to the nature of a group discussion withdrawal of individual data may not be possible once the audio recording of the discussion has started as it will not be possible for the researcher to distinguish your voice from others on the audio recording or to identify you in the anonymised transcript. I note the indicative timescale for the data collection phase of this project is February – March 2024.
• Following the data collection phase of this project, I understand that all the data will be anonymised, and data analysis will commence, once data analysis commences it will not be possible to withdraw my data. I further understand that after the end of the data analysis phase, it will be necessary for the university to retain non-personal data for verification purposes until the research has been published. I note the indicative timescale for the data analysis phase of this project will commence March 2024
• I understand that GDPR states that research studies are exempt from the right to be forgotten where this is “likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of the objectives” and that any request I make to invoke my right to be forgotten will be considered by the university with this in mind. The university will endeavour to take every possible measure to comply with the request without impairing the research.
• I agree to take part in the above study
• I agree to complete a short questionnaire
• I agree to the group discussions being audio recorded
• I agree to the use of anonymised quotes in the publication

For us to organise the discussion group, please provide the following information:

• Name
• Email
• Phone number
• Postcode

Each person that has participates in the discussion groups will be sent a £25 e-gift card or a donation made to a charity of your choice. Please indicate your preference below:

• Amazon e-voucher
• all4one gift card
• Tesco voucher
• Asda voucher
• Morrisons voucher
• Charity donation (please provide the name of the charity)

After taking part in the study, do you wish to receive any of the following

• A summary of the research findings
• Information about future research studies