I would be embarrassed for you to see what I eat : Older people rejecting the visual?

Abstract

This paper will present data from a pilot study carried out in a faithbased community-meal setting. Data was collected using a number of qualitative methods including researcher and participant generated visual images. Using cameras to capture the social context of eating and food eaten, was limited due to poor uptake. Uptake appears not to be influenced by technical phobias but by the subject matter. Food and its consumption is surrounded by strong moral discourses and older people living alone were embarrassed to expose their eating behaviour to visual scrutiny. Using visual devices to explore eating behaviour in older people, particularly those who live alone, should be used cautiously and with sensitivity. Images when collected have the potential to add context to the data provided in food diaries and interviews, however, it appears that alternative methods of data collection alongside visual images are needed