PhD ThesisOver the last decade there has been an unexplained increase in cases of listeriosis
in the UK observed almost exclusively in those aged over 60 (SSRC, 2009, ACMSF,
2009). Domestic food safety practices have been hypothesised as one contributing
factor to this increase (SSRC, 2009), and this research was funded to explore these
practices in more detail. Using the North East of England as the geographical focus
for the research, a mixed method approach was chosen using a complement of
traditional and innovative research methods in a two-phase approach.
Phase 1 was a large-scale administered questionnaire (n=213), designed to profile
independently residing older adults (aged 60+) based upon their knowledge of, and
reported practices associated with, domestic food safety. Factor and cluster
analyses revealed a 3-cluster solution, which provided the basis for detailed
narrative typologies of the clusters which were labelled i) ‘Independent Self-
assessors’ ii) ‘Experienced Dismissers’ and iii) ‘Compliant Minimalists’ These
findings highlighted the heterogeneity of the 60+ population with respect to their
living and health circumstances, social networks and their food safety knowledge
and behavioural practices. The risk of foodborne illness was not identified as linear
with age, rather levels of vulnerability to foodborne risks varied across the cohort.
Phase 2 purposively sampled 10 households from Phase 1 for an ethnographically
inspired study (EIS), which took a Social Practice Theory perspective to observe
domestic food handling practices. Data were generated using life-course
interviews fridge auditing including microbiological sampling kitchen ‘go-alongs’
food purchase history, activity recognition and video documentation. In addition to
confirming the findings of Phase 1, the substantive theoretical contribution of
Phase 2 was the concept of ‘Independence Transitioning’. Food provisioning
practices were the observed outcome of the value negotiations made by the
household to adapt to the incremental changes experienced as part of the ageing
process that facilitated independent living. Although food safety issues were
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implicit within these practices, they were not a salient factor within food
provisioning or handling. This was therefore concluded to compound their risk of
contracting illness as a result of foodborne disease