Community meal services for older adults and healthy aging: a structural equation modeling study in Nanjing, China

Community senior canteens have become an important component of community-based meal services and healthy aging strategies in China. However, insufficient alignment between service provision and the diverse needs of older adults may constrain service utilization and long-term sustainability. This study aimed to examine the associations among factors related to older adults' use of community senior canteens and to identify patterns of behavioral association that may inform the optimization of community meal services.

A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults aged 60 years and older across the 11 administrative districts of Nanjing, China. Using a combination of stratified sampling, quota sampling, and snowball sampling, 1,568 complete cases were included in the final SEM analysis. An adapted SICAS framework was used to construct a structural equation model (SEM) to examine the sequential relationships among awareness, interaction, purchase, and sharing. Reliability, validity, and model fit were evaluated before structural path analysis.

The measurement and structural models demonstrated satisfactory fit. All three hypothesized associations were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Awareness was positively associated with Interaction, Interaction was positively associated with Purchase, and Purchase was positively associated with Sharing.

Older adults' use of community senior canteens was characterized by a pattern of positive associations among awareness, interaction, purchase, and sharing. Given the cross-sectional design, these findings should not be interpreted as evidence of temporal or causal relationships. The observed associations may nevertheless provide useful evidence for improving service communication, user engagement, and service quality in community meal services.