Outputs
1) Background Research
Background Research is part of pre-conference assessment. We will conduct desktop research analysis and internal discussion. The background research will be fed into the Project Summary Report.
1. Understand public policies on healthy eating in an aging society, including policies and objectives.
2. Explore available educational resources to support the dissemination of healthy eating practices.
3. Study educational tools and training plans to support the promotion of healthy eating.
Target economies and identify the potential audience: a total of all 21 APEC economies and assumed the audience needs and interests by attending this conference, and we will search for the elder nutrition of all APEC economies from existing open access data from WHO official website.
2) 1-Day International Conference
This conference will be conducted through a 1-day international conference, providing a platform for the exchange of experiences and knowledge among APEC economies.
1. 1.The conference will be conducted for full day (8-hour) in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei, in March 2025, under the tentative theme "International Conference on Promoting Healthy Aging of the Elderly through Healthy Eating". The conference program will include a plenary keynote speech, three different themed presentations with 2-3 subtopics each, followed by panel discussions.
2. The topics of the presentations will cover:
(1) Building an age-friendly eating environment: conducting systematic national nutrition surveys, developing dietary guidelines for the elderly, and adjusting food texture to create a friendly eating environment.
(2) Promoting awareness and behaviors of healthy eating: discussing the importance of nutrition for the elderly from a healthy eating perspective and how good dietary behaviors can reduce non-communicable diseases, lower healthcare expenses, and mitigate healthcare inequality.
(3) Technological assistance to enhance nutritional care: utilizing interactive nutrition education, enhancing elderly participation and cognitive abilities, and utilizing information platforms to understand nutritional issues and provide relevant care services.
After each themed presentations, there will be a 20-30 minute discussion session for all participants to engage with conference speakers.
The final session to recap key discussions and recommendations resulted from the conference in the end of the conference.
3. Expert moderators and speakers specializing in elderly health and nutrition from APEC economies and NGOs will be invited to share their latest updates, practices, and experiences in this field, thus promoting awareness and societal well-being regarding healthy aging and nutrition.
4. A post-conference evaluation will be conducted through a questionnaire survey to assess the satisfaction of participants and experts, as well as to collect feedback and suggestions.
5. Target audience: Approximately 6 speakers and around 100 participants from APEC economies, including public health officials, researchers, professionals in the field of elderly health and nutrition, NGO representatives, and stakeholders, are expected to physically attend the conference.
3) Project Summary Report
The working group in Health Promotion Administration (HPA), Ministry of Health and Welfare, Chinese Taipei will produce a Project Summary Report after the conference completion, which will include the summaries of key presentations, result of the surveys, conclusions and lesson learned, key findings, recommendations and successful experiences from economies regarding "Healthy Aging and Nutrition". It will also be shared with conference participants and interested stakeholders electronically. The Project Summary Report for publication will be approved by APEC members and abide by relevant APEC guidelines and project guidebook.
Outcomes
1) In this International conference on Promoting Healthy Aging through Healthy Nutrition, we anticipate achieving the following outcomes:
(a) Provide a platform for exchanging experiences and policy-making, promoting the healthy aging through healthy nutrition among APEC member economies. Participants will gain insights from successful cases in different APEC economies, establishing effective policies on healthy aging nutrition through learning and exchanging ideas. Examples of such policies could include dietary texture modification and community-based nutrition promotion centers to enhance the nutrition and health of elderly individuals. After the conference, we will assess participants' acceptance of the shared knowledge and experiences, as well as their perceived applicability to their respective economies or regions, through a post-conference evaluation questionnaire.
2) Enhance participants' awareness and understanding of the importance of healthy nutrition for the elderly. Through keynote speeches, expert discussions, and research presentations, participants will gain insights into the latest research, trends, and information related to healthy aging. Additionally, we will assess participants' knowledge gain and shifts in their perspectives regarding the conference topics through a post-conference survey. This will help us evaluate the effectiveness of the conference in raising awareness and promoting understanding of healthy nutrition for the elderly.
3) Foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Throughout the conference, we will bring together experts from diverse professional backgrounds and fields, including NGOs, APEC member economies, and stakeholders. Through panel discussions, participants will have potential opportunities to collaborate and develop concrete action plans for promoting healthy aging among the elderly population.
Beneficiaries
1. Government officials: This includes health policy makers and public health officials from the health department.
2. Private organizations from APEC economies: This includes healthcare professionals and healthcare administrators, among others.
3. Other partners (including NGOs): Such as the World Health Organization or nutrition- related associations and other relevant non-governmental organizations.
4. Researchers and scholars: This includes scholars and experts conducting research in the fields of health science, nutrition, gerontology, and other related areas. They will have the opportunity to exchange ideas with colleagues from different economies, share research findings, latest discoveries, and innovative approaches to promote knowledge related to elderly health diets.
This conference will share strategies, experiences, and knowledge in promoting elderly health diets and enhancing quality of life. Participants are expected to directly benefit from the following three aspects:
a. Learning from the successful experiences of other economies in promoting elderly health diets, besides the elderly population within APEC economies will also benefit.
b. Exploring ways to apply innovative technologies to healthcare systems to effectively reduce health issues among the elderly.
c. Acquiring the latest strategies and knowledge to address challenges faced in elderly health diets.
This conference will provide a multinational platform for participants to learn from each other, establish collaborative relationships, and collectively explore cooperative efforts in promoting healthy aging through a focus on healthy diets. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn about successful experiences and strategies related to elderly health diets from different economies and apply these experiences to their respective fields, thereby promoting a healthier and higher quality of life in aging societies.
