Researchers are developing a specialized questionnaire to identify food preferences in older hospitalized adults with swallowing difficulties, addressing a significant gap in current assessment tools. According to Gram Research analysis, this new tool will help doctors create meal plans that are both safe to swallow and satisfying to eat, potentially improving nutrition and recovery in a vulnerable population where undernutrition is common and contributes to serious health complications.
Researchers are creating a special questionnaire to understand food preferences in older hospital patients who have difficulty swallowing. Swallowing problems, called dysphagia, are common in elderly patients and often lead them to avoid certain foods, which can cause malnutrition and health complications. This new tool will help doctors and nutritionists better understand what foods these patients actually enjoy, so they can create meal plans that are both safe to eat and satisfying. The study involves 209 older adults across different types of care settings and will test whether the questionnaire works reliably and helps identify food preferences in this vulnerable population.
Key Statistics
The DYSPHAGING Preferences study, approved in September 2025, will assess food preferences in 209 hospitalized older adults aged 70 and older across multiple geriatric care settings to develop a questionnaire specifically tailored to this population’s needs.
The adapted questionnaire will evaluate preferences across six food categories: acidic, textured, sweet, in sauce, dairy, and cooked foods, allowing doctors to identify safe and satisfying meal options for older adults with swallowing difficulties.
Researchers will compare food preferences between older adults who screen positive and negative for swallowing problems using the Eating Assessment Tool-10 to determine whether swallowing difficulties change actual food preferences or simply limit food choices.
The Quick Take
- What they studied: Whether a new food preference questionnaire can accurately identify what foods older adults with swallowing difficulties prefer to eat
- Who participated: 209 hospitalized adults aged 70 and older in geriatric care units, including some with swallowing problems and some without
- Key finding: Researchers developed and tested a questionnaire specifically designed to assess food preferences in older adults with swallowing difficulties, addressing a gap in existing assessment tools
- What it means for you: If you or a loved one has swallowing difficulties in a hospital setting, doctors may soon have better tools to understand your food preferences and create more satisfying meal plans that are still safe to eat. This could improve nutrition and quality of life during recovery.
The Research Details
The DYSPHAGING Preferences study is a three-step research project conducted across multiple hospitals. In the first step, researchers took a food preference questionnaire originally designed for children and adapted it for older adults by testing whether elderly patients could recognize and understand pictures and names of different foods. The second step tested whether the adapted questionnaire gave consistent results when given to the same people twice. The third step used the finalized questionnaire to describe what foods older adults in hospitals actually prefer and compared preferences between those with and without swallowing problems.
The questionnaire asks about preferences for six types of foods: acidic foods like citrus, textured foods like nuts or raw vegetables, sweet foods, foods in sauce, dairy products, and cooked foods. Researchers included 35 participants in step one, 35 in step two, and 174 in step three, with some participants completing multiple steps.
This approach is practical because it directly involves the people who will use the tool, ensuring the questionnaire works in real hospital settings with real patients who may have hearing loss, vision problems, or other age-related challenges.
Current tools for assessing food preferences in older adults are limited and don’t account for the special challenges this population faces, such as sensory impairments and swallowing difficulties. By creating a tool specifically designed for hospitalized older adults, researchers can help doctors make better decisions about meal planning. When patients eat foods they actually enjoy, they tend to eat more, which helps prevent malnutrition, a serious problem in hospitalized elderly patients that can slow recovery and increase complications.
This study was approved by an ethics committee in France and follows proper research protocols. The three-step approach is methodologically sound, starting with adaptation, then testing reliability, then real-world application. The study includes a reasonable sample size across different types of care settings, which increases the likelihood that results will apply to various hospital environments. However, this is a protocol paper describing the planned study rather than results, so the actual findings have not yet been published.
What the Results Show
This paper presents the study protocol and design rather than final results, as the research was approved in September 2025 and is ongoing. The primary objective is to develop a food preference questionnaire that older adults can reliably complete and understand. The researchers will measure success by whether participants can recognize food pictures and names, whether the questionnaire gives the same results when administered twice, and whether it can identify differences in food preferences between older adults with and without swallowing problems.
The questionnaire focuses on six food categories chosen because they represent different textures and characteristics that matter for people with swallowing difficulties. Some foods may be easier or harder to swallow depending on their texture and moisture content. By understanding preferences within these categories, doctors can offer alternatives that are both safe and appealing.
The study will compare food preferences between two groups: those who screen positive for swallowing problems using a validated assessment tool called the Eating Assessment Tool-10, and those who screen negative. This comparison will help determine whether swallowing difficulties actually change what foods people prefer or whether preferences remain similar but people avoid certain foods due to safety concerns.
Secondary outcomes include assessing the practical feasibility of administering the questionnaire in busy hospital settings and determining whether the tool works equally well across different types of geriatric care units, including acute care, rehabilitation, and long-term care facilities. The study will also examine whether visual and lexical recognition of foods differs among older adults, which could inform how the questionnaire is presented to different patients.
Gram Research analysis shows that existing food preference assessment tools are primarily designed for pediatric populations or general adult populations and do not account for the specific challenges older adults face, including vision and hearing loss, cognitive changes, and swallowing difficulties. This study fills an important gap by creating a tool specifically tailored to this vulnerable population. Previous research has established that undernutrition is common in hospitalized older adults and contributes to poor health outcomes, but little research has focused on understanding the actual food preferences of older adults with swallowing problems.
As a protocol paper, this study has not yet generated results, so we cannot assess limitations in the findings. However, potential limitations to consider when results are published include: the study is conducted in French hospitals, so results may not directly apply to other countries with different food cultures; participants are hospitalized, so preferences may differ from community-dwelling older adults; the study does not measure actual food intake or nutritional outcomes, only preferences; and the questionnaire assesses preferences for pre-selected foods rather than allowing open-ended food choices.
The Bottom Line
This research is still in progress, so clinical recommendations cannot yet be made. However, when completed, this tool may help healthcare providers in hospitals better understand and accommodate food preferences for older adults with swallowing difficulties. Healthcare teams should watch for publication of the results to determine whether this questionnaire should be adopted in their facilities. For patients and families, this research suggests that future hospital meal planning may become more personalized and satisfying for older adults with swallowing problems.
Hospitalized older adults aged 70 and older, particularly those with swallowing difficulties, should care about this research. Family members and caregivers of elderly patients will benefit from better meal planning. Healthcare providers including doctors, nurses, speech-language pathologists, and dietitians in geriatric care settings should monitor this research for potential clinical applications. Hospital administrators and food service directors may eventually use this tool to improve patient satisfaction and nutrition outcomes.
The study was approved in September 2025 and is currently ongoing. Results from all three steps should be available within 12 to 24 months. Once published, it may take an additional 6 to 12 months for hospitals to adapt and implement the questionnaire in clinical practice. Patients and families should expect to see potential benefits within 2 to 3 years if the tool proves effective and is widely adopted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do older adults with swallowing problems often become malnourished?
When swallowing becomes difficult, older adults gradually avoid foods they fear might be unsafe, leading to limited food choices and dietary imbalance. This restricted diet often lacks necessary nutrients, causing malnutrition that slows recovery and increases health complications.
How is this new food preference tool different from existing questionnaires?
Current tools were designed for children or general adults and don’t account for older adults’ sensory impairments like vision and hearing loss or their specific swallowing challenges. This new tool is specifically adapted for hospitalized older adults aged 70 and older.
When will hospitals be able to use this new questionnaire?
The study is currently ongoing with results expected within 12 to 24 months. After publication, hospitals will need additional time to implement the tool, so widespread clinical use is likely 2 to 3 years away.
Can family members help doctors understand what foods their elderly relative prefers?
Yes, family members can share information about food preferences with hospital staff before and during hospitalization. This information helps doctors and nutritionists create meal plans that are both safe and satisfying, potentially improving nutrition and recovery.
Does swallowing difficulty mean someone has to give up all their favorite foods?
Not necessarily. Foods can be adapted in texture and consistency while maintaining flavor and appeal. Understanding actual food preferences helps doctors find safe versions of favorite foods, allowing patients to enjoy eating while protecting their health.
Want to Apply This Research?
- Users with elderly relatives in hospitals could track which foods their loved ones prefer and tolerate well, noting specific textures and types that seem to work best. Record daily food intake and any swallowing difficulties observed to share with healthcare providers.
- Family members could use the app to document food preferences before hospitalization and share this information with hospital staff, helping ensure meal plans align with patient preferences. Users could also track which adapted foods (different textures) their loved one accepts most readily.
- Over weeks and months, track whether the patient’s food intake improves when preferences are better understood and accommodated. Monitor weight, energy levels, and recovery progress as indicators of whether better-matched meal planning is supporting nutrition and health outcomes.
This article describes a research protocol for a study that is currently ongoing. Results have not yet been published, so clinical recommendations cannot be made at this time. This information is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice. If you or a loved one has swallowing difficulties or concerns about nutrition, consult with a healthcare provider, speech-language pathologist, or registered dietitian. The findings from this study, when published, should be reviewed by healthcare professionals before implementation in clinical settings.
This research translation is published by Gram Research, the science division of Gram, an AI-powered nutrition tracking app.