Objective: To investigate views and expectations of Australian Meals on Wheels (MOW) customers to inform the development of National Meal Guidelines and improve current services.
Methods: A survey was designed through literature review and consultations with key stakeholders. National convenience sampling returned 337 surveys. Descriptive statistics and chi-squared analyses were applied to the survey data.
Results: Meals on Wheels customers reported satisfaction with their current service, with the meal itself found to be the most valuable aspect. People living in small country towns were more likely to value the social contact provided by MOW than those in major cities (P = .001). Delivery of pantry items was the most popular additional option for future services.
Conclusion: Valuable information for inclusion in the development of the National Meal Guidelines was provided: nutritional content of meals, meal variety, packaging and presentation, opportunities for nourishing snacks and pantry items, and social contact.
Keywords: Meals on Wheels; aged; consumer behaviour; food services; independent living.
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