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‘I eat to not die’: Diet and exercise experiences of older adults living alone


 Living alone is a critical health risk factor among older adults. Regular exercise and a balanced diet are important for maintaining an independent and healthy life. However, it can be more difficult for older adults living alone to maintain healthy exercise and dietary habits due to the lack of social support. This was a qualitative descriptive study to explore the life changes that accompany living alone, focusing on exercise and diet and the need to improve the nutrition and physical activity of older adults living alone. Thematic analyses were applied to analyze the qualitative data collected from semistructured in-depth interviews. Fifteen subjects, including 5 men and 10 women, participated in the interviews. The mean age was 77.73 ± 7.37 years, and the mean duration of living alone was 17.73 ± 12.89 years. Six main themes were developed: unavoidable difficulties of living alone (lack of someone to depend on and loneliness), just eating “to not die”, exercise that is good for health but hard to do alone, conflict between maintaining independence and dependence on others, coping with available resources, and resources needed for regular exercise and a balanced diet. Living alone led to poor dietary habits, such as skipping meals or insufficient food intake. Food security should be ensured through the reinforcement of social support, financial assistance, and the operation of public cafeterias. In addition, a tailored group exercise program that can meet the need for social interaction and improve self-efficacy would help older adults living alone maintain regular exercise habits.