Food-related activities among older Indonesian women: Understanding personal and built-environmental adaptation for independence in later life

Ramadhani, Widya Aulia

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/120549 Copy

Description

Title

Food-related activities among older Indonesian women: Understanding personal and built-environmental adaptation for independence in later life

Author(s)

Ramadhani, Widya Aulia

Issue Date

2023-04-28

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Dearborn, Lynne M

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Dearborn, Lynne M

Committee Member(s)

• Rogers, Wendy A
• Morrow, Daniel G
• Bollo, Christina
• Aryanti, Tutin

Department of Study

Architecture

Discipline

Architecture

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

adaptation, aging in place, food-related activities, older women, Indonesia

Abstract

Maintaining independence in food-related activities (i.e., preparing ingredients, cooking, eating, and cleaning) is crucial for older women to age in place successfully. Moreover, older women’s ability to stay engaged in food-related activities can significantly contribute to their health and well-being. Age-related physical and cognitive changes and other environmental changes can limit older women’s ability to conduct food-related activities, increasing their risk of experiencing food insecurity. This study sought to understand how older Indonesian women conduct food-related activities in their residential units; specifically, to identify changes, challenges, and strategies they employ to adapt their behavior and environmental conditions to maintain their independence; and to understand how their continued engagement in food-related activities impacts their wellbeing. I employed two remote data collection methods to answer these research questions: photo and video elicitation and semi-structured interviews. Participants were 25 older Indonesian women (60 years and older); approximately half of them live in Indonesia, and the other half are immigrants in the United States. I used constructive grounded theory method to qualitatively analyze the photos and videos of participants' settings of food-related activities and the interview data. This study intentionally added a cultural lens in the analysis to understand food-related activities engagement, as culture plays an influential role in the selection of methods and the characteristics of settings of activities. The focus on older Indonesian women, a population group that has received less research attention, was intended to develop a culturally sensitive approach to understanding food-related activities engagement. The way older women conduct food-related activities are highly influenced by the physical and social context. Physical contexts were the spatial layout, configuration, and connectivity with other spaces in residential units, whereas social contexts were the roles, responsibilities, and participation in events and other engagements. I discovered how those contextual factors are reflected in differences in frequency, method of engagement, and the manifestation of food-related activities in the settings. Across the two participant groups, I identified common challenges that interfere with older Indonesian women’s ability to conduct food-related activities successfully. These challenges occur when physiological and contextual changes interrupt the person-environment interaction for fulfilling activity demands. Hence, they employed various strategies to navigate those challenges by adapting their behavior and environmental condition to minimize or completely overcome the activity challenges. Older Indonesian women’s motivations to continue engaging in food-related activities were driven by their intention to live happily, have financial stability, stay independent, and contribute to the household. Participants viewed food-related activities as fulfilling for their physical, emotional, social, and financial wellbeing. Among the four activities, cooking has the most consequential meaning, as it is perceived as a mechanism to preserve identity and maintain agency. Through cooking, older women maintain agency to provide nutritious, delicious, and hygienic food for their loved ones. Food is their language of love, and they take pride in the signature taste that preserves and boosts their sense of identity. This study discovered the importance of continued engagement in food-related activities, despite older women's various personal and environmental challenges. This study contributes to the scholarship and practice of architecture, environmental gerontology, and human factors by illustrating the importance of a culturally sensitive approach to research and design of aging in place environments. Architects and designers can use the findings to advocate for designing supportive spaces for older adults’ food-related activities, especially in practices addressing senior living environments.

Graduation Semester

2023-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2023 Widya Ramadhani

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