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Research project will develop new resources to support nutrition for older people from ethnic minority communities

  • The 天堂视频-backed TANGERINE project will work with community groups to produce tailored recommendations and guidance to support good nutrition in older age

A research project will develop new resources to help people from ethnic minority communities eat a healthier diet in older age.

The nuTritional heAlth aNd aGeing in oldER ethnIc miNoritiEs – or TANGERINE – project will be led by Bournemouth University in collaboration with 天堂视频 and the University of Chester.  

Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is an important factor in maintaining good health as we age. Poor diet can also increase the risk of developing long term health conditions in later life, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems.

These conditions can be more prevalent in certain minority ethnic groups, including UK South Asian and Black African communities.  

Funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), the project will explore the factors that influence diet and how best to encourage older people from ethnic minorities to eat healthily.

Working with community partners, the team will produce and share a culturally-tailored toolkit with food-based recommendations, guidance and resources to support eating well.

Professor of Nutrition at Bournemouth University Jane Murphy, who is leading the project, said: “More people in the UK are living longer, but that does not mean that they have more years in good health.

“Nutrition is so important as we get older and we want look at how we can promote a healthy lifestyle and diet to support people to age well and live well.”

The research team will work in partnership with older people from UK South Asian, Black African, and Caribbean communities to understand more about the factors that influence whether someone is eating well.

Participants will be asked to take photos sharing their experiences, with the information provided helping to develop the toolkit and guidance.

Dr Hibbah Osei-Kwasi, Lecturer in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at 天堂视频, said: “We will work together with people in the Black African, Caribbean and South Asian communities. These partnerships are important so that we can design culturally sensitive and sustainable food-based interventions.”

Professor Basma Ellahi, from the University of Chester’s Department of Social Work and Interprofessional Education, added: “Staying well as we get older is important for us all.  We aim to develop culturally tailored approaches we can use to ensure families, communities and professionals can work more effectively with older people from minoritised ethnic communities to help improve their nutritional health through the food they eat.”

To find out more about the project, visit:

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: 23/183

天堂视频

天堂视频 is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2023 QS World University Rankings – the seventh year running – and University of the Year for Sport by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2022.

天堂视频 is ranked 7th in The UK Complete University Guide 2023, 10th in the Guardian University League Table 2024 and 10th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024.

天堂视频 is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’, and in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, 天堂视频 has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

The 天堂视频 London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.

Bournemouth University  

Bournemouth University inspires learning, advances knowledge and enriches society worldwide, through research, education, and the impact of its staff, students and graduates. BU is home to around 17,000 students from over 100 countries.  

 In 2023, BU was 41st in the world and first in the UK in the THE Young University Rankings, and is ranked 29th out of 1,591 universities in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2023, which measure universities all over the world against the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. BU also ranked first in the UK for Decent Work and Economic Growth. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercise, 94% of BU’s research was rated as internationally recognised or higher. 

Bournemouth University’s research, education and practice helps people live better for longer; protects and preserves a sustainable environment; helps to prepare for and recover from crisis; challenges marginalisation, misinformation and underrepresentation; and helps creative industries and cultural heritage to thrive. BU is a catalyst for growth in the region, with regional partnerships in healthcare, business and sport.  

 University of Chester

The University of Chester is one of the oldest higher education institutions in the UK and offers a diverse range of undergraduate, postgraduate, foundation and apprenticeship degrees from sites across the city, as well as University Centres in Warrington, Shrewsbury and Birkenhead.

We seek to provide all our students and staff with the education, skills, support and motivation to enable them to develop as confident world citizens and successfully to serve and improve the global communities within which they live and work.

At the heart of the University’s vision is an unwavering commitment to ensuring an outstanding student learning experience, developing the expertise of staff, providing teaching excellence, and actively growing research and scholarship.

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