The eighth meeting of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) Dietary Guidelines Expert Committee (Expert Committee) was held in April via videoconference.
Older Australians
The Expert Committee had previously identified priority research topics relevant to older Australians during the prioritisation process for the broader review of the Dietary Guidelines.
Members noted the additional scoping activities undertaken specifically for older Australians. Members used these to advise whether new topics, or changes or additions to the previously identified topics, needed to be made for the older Australian population. Members used the same principles for topic prioritisation as they did during the previous work completed for the broader dietary guidelines review.
Members advised the previously identified research questions in the broader Dietary Guidelines review remain relevant for older Australians. Members advised that the populations and exposures identified during the scoping activities were covered by the current research questions so no new questions needed to be added to the previously identified list. However, the Expert Committee advised that ‘falls’, ‘frailty’, ‘malnutrition’, ‘fracture’ and ‘healthy weight range’ should be added as new outcomes for older Australians.
While Members advised that the previously identified contextual questions were still relevant, they considered that the barriers to consumption aligned with guidelines for older Australians can differ from the general population. Contextual factors considered of particular relevance by Members included changes in taste and smell, oral health, decline in appetite, eating alone, mobility/dexterity and activities of daily living.