"Why isn't fibre mentioned more often?" Conducting focus groups with an ageing population to promote dietary fibre-related awareness and starting the conversation.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Qualitative focus group and co-design study (graded by design analogy)
PubMed 41999990 · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2026.108563
What was done
Community-dwelling older adults aged 65 and older in the UK (n = 34) participated in face-to-face focus groups. The study evaluated healthy eating barriers, assessed dietary fiber knowledge and awareness relative to the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition 30 g/day recommendation, co-designed a dietary fiber infographic, and explored views on the food environment.
What was found
The abstract reports qualitative observations without numerical outcome metrics or statistical tests. Participants associated healthy eating with scratch cooking, identifying barriers such as ageing, increasing costs, access to unhealthy foods, and confusing terminology. Key knowledge gaps included poor identification of fiber-rich foods, lack of awareness of non-digestive health benefits, and confusion regarding intake recommendations. A practical task showed participants struggled to visualize portion sizes and the volume of food needed to reach 30 g/day. Participants responded positively to a co-designed circular infographic and requested visual resources, food substitution advice, mandatory labeling, shop-level guidance, and cost incentives.
Why it matters
The findings identify specific educational and environmental barriers that hinder older adults from meeting dietary fiber guidelines. This can inform the design of targeted public health communications and retail-level interventions.
Limits
The study is limited to a small qualitative sample (n = 34) of community-dwelling older adults in the UK, which restricts generalizability. It did not measure baseline dietary intake, post-session dietary changes, or clinical outcomes.
Cited by
- supports The UK NHS recommended dietary fiber intake for adults is 30 grams per day.