Older adults have many risk factors that influence what they eat, why they eat these foods and how they eat. These factors include living alone, reduced finances, use of medications, and decreased ability to purchase groceries and prepare food. On the other hand, older adults are resilient and can overcome these challenges. Understanding how seniors maintain healthy diets and improve their health also needs to be investigated. Dr. Keller’s research is focused on understanding and improving the psychosocial, physical and environmental determinants of food intake for older adults. Relatively little research, especially in the area of changing behaviour, has been conducted. Poor nutrition is linked to hospitalization, institutionalization and quality of life. Research in this area can potentially have a direct impact on the lives of older adults.
Dr. Keller’s Research Goal
“To improve the nutritional health and well-being of older adults.”
Research Objectives:
1) To demonstrate the importance of food intake and nutritional status as a determinant of health.
2) To improve the assessment and identification of nutrition problems.
3) To develop valid and reliable screening indices for the determination of nutrition risk.
4) To evaluate screening to determine its effectiveness for promoting behaviour change and promoting early intervention.
5) To identify the psychosocial, physical and environmental determinants of food intake, including mealtime processes.
6) To develop and study diverse interventions that improve food intake (e.g. food products, staff and practitioner training, education programs for family care partners and older adults etc.).
Research Programs:
Professor Keller’s research goal and objectives are met with three research programs:
1) Nutrition Risk Screening
2) Nutrition and Aging Well
3) Nutrition and Dementia
Research Collaborations
Dr. Keller is involved in both formal and informal research collaborations. Formal collaborations include:
Canadian Malnutrition Task Force
This is a collaboration of clinicians and researchers interested in improving nutrition care in Canada. A study on the prevalence of malnutrition, predictors and consequences while in hospital and post discharge is being conducted. Results will help to identify key areas of nutrition practice which can be improved. Check out the CMTF website at www.nutritioncareincanada.ca.
NutriSTEP Research Group
This research group is based in Ontario and is focused on the development, validation, reliability testing and implementation of nutrition risk screening for young children. Public health, policy makers, and nutrition researchers work together to improve the nutritional health of this segment of the Canadian population. More detailed information on the NutriSTEP program can be found at www.nutristep.ca.
Research Institute of Aging
The Agri-food for Healthy Aging (A-HA) initiative is a new collaborative research group involving the RIA and researchers at the Universities of Waterloo and Guelph. Dr. Keller is a Research Scientist with the RIA and specifically the A-HA group. A-HA aims to improve the health and quality of life of older adults through food. More about A-HA can be found at http://www.the-ria.ca/about/themes.cfm#AHA.
