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Updated: Sep 14, 2025

Concept Development and Use of an Automated Food Intake and Eating Behavior Assessment Method
Published on: February 19, 2021
Eating behaviors among chinese older adults: A qualitative study using the capability, opportunity, motivation, and
1Nursing Department, Affiliated People's Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, China.
Objective:
This study explored the mechanisms underlying eating behaviors among Chinese older adults using the COM-B model, which conceptualizes behavior through Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation components.
Methods:
A qualitative descriptive design was adopted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 community-dwelling older adults in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China, from October to December 2024. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data.
Results:
Four major themes were identified: Restrictive Eating, Emotional Eating, Nutritional Literacy, and External Eating. Dietary patterns were influenced by physical health conditions, emotional states, family dynamics, and digital barriers to food information access.
Conclusions:
Eating behaviors among older adults are shaped by complex and interconnected factors across individual, social, and environmental domains. Interventions promoting healthy aging should integrate strategies to enhance capability, optimize opportunity, and strengthen motivation.
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