There is an urgent need to facilitate the development of more effective breastfeeding support strategies. The desired research will focus on knowledge-based service innovation that include intervention in form of computer-based training program aimed for training of health and care professionals involved in breastfeeding support. The intervention in the proposed study will contribute to more effective adoption of new knowledge in healthcare organisations. Further, the proposed project will be organised as an interdisciplinary and crosswise sectorial collaboration and will be customized at a national and international level, by involving decision-makers, researchers, health care professionals and care users. Ambition with this project is to contribute to increased breastfeeding frequency by increasing competence in professional support in related healthcare services and midwife education program. There is also an urgent need for evidence based technical solutions as a professional support for the professionals to more effectively implement new research in practice. This project will contribute health care with high quality and resource use. The overall aim for the project is to implement and evaluate new innovative solutions in order to improve long-term strategies for professional support and quality of care, related to knowledge-based breastfeeding support. The design method for the project is longitudinal randomized controlled intervention trial. The intervention will be computer-based training education program developed in collaboration with decision-makers, professionals and researchers. Data will be gained before and after intervention by using: Breastfeeding attitudes among counselling health professionals (An instrument based on WHO standards was developed to measure breastfeeding attitudes), Mother-to-infant Relation and Feelings (MIRF) scale and Mother-Perceived-Professional-Professional support (MoPPS) scale. For successful intervention, it is important that decision-makers are involved in the research process, so that suggested changes can be possible if they actively participate and encourage the project as well as the adoption of research results in practice. Involvement of stakeholders in the research demand facilitation of the research process. This can enable cooperation by using project management techniques as co-counselling and clinical reflection. The outcome of the project will be multiple may be placed in a regional, national, international or global context. Firstly, the project will contribute to development of knowledge-based professionals’ competence with focus on to support breastfeeding from first breastfeeding time, to minimise usage of infant formula during first week of life, longer exclusive- and predominant breastfeeding and stronger connection between mother and child. This topic will fit with theme Nutrition and Lactation.

Prepared meals distributed by municipalities is a service to elderly people, or persons with health related impairments, who live in their own home, have difficulties preparing their own food and cannot meet their food requirements in any other way. This study aimed to provide a brief picture of how elderly people living at home perceive the food they receive through their municipal food service and what is important to them. The data was collected using questionnaires. 274 out of 276 participants answered the questionnaire (n=173 women 62% and n=101 man 37%). The data was analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA).

The results showed that the elderly persons receiving meals through the service were often satisfied, especially with the size of the portions and the delivery time. Those who had been using the food delivery service for a longer time were not satisfied with the alternative dishes they were been offered. There was no significant difference between the views of either gender. Further, those who were receiving special food were, in general, unsatisfied with the meals delivered.

Development of the food distribution service by systematic quality insurance and interactive knowledge exchange between the producers and consumers seems to be a way to promote a more holistic and individual adjusted service. Evaluation of the municipal FD service is a powerful tool that can contribute to the development of this service. The food service can be improved and consequently even the quality of life and health of its receivers. The present survey should be revisited and developed in order to detect differences between genders.

Remaining independent in respect to eating is highly valued among elderly. By integrating various dimensions of the meal, including nutritional and sensory aspects, in the development of functional eating aids, the possibility of a healthy and independent living among elderly increases.

The risk of malnutrition increases with ageing, resulting in poorer health and higher risk of disease. Eating difficulties are important risk factors for malnutrition. Moreover, independence in relation to food and meals is highly rated by the elderly and has been associated with health and well-being. The purpose of this literature overview was to provide insights into nutritional status, food choice and preferences as well as the meal situations of home-living elderly (65+) people with motoric eating difficulties focusing on Scandinavia. The overall aim is to support independence and to prevent malnutrition. Nutritional status in the elderly was found to be negatively influenced by motoric eating difficulties including problems with manipulating food on the plate and transporting food to the mouth. Motoric eating difficulties may result in practical simplifications such as use of pre-prepared meals, less advanced cooking, and omission of certain meal constituents in order to avoid e.g. mismanagement and spillage. Eating difficulties are often accompanied by feelings of guilt and shame. Choosing smaller portions, reducing the number of eating episodes and not cooking independently have been associated with a higher risk of malnutrition. The nutritional effects of eating difficulties may be exacerbated by diminished chemosensory functions. Furthermore, both past and present food preferences should be considered in order to meet nutritional needs and meal satisfaction. Development of refined and socially accepted eating aids, in combination with tasty and nutritious products, is important in order to promote healthy and independent living among home-living elderly with motoric eating difficulties.

Protein-energy malnutrition can be a problem among elderly. A way to increase protein intake may be to enrich home-cooked foods. In this, special attention should be given to that the food is conveniently prepared and well accepted by the target group.

Introduction: Requirements to implement scientific knowledge in practice within the Swedish health and social care sectors have increased during the last decades. One of these networks was the Network for Eating and Nutrition that began in 2003. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate how the Network for Eating and Nutrition has functioned during a period of ten years and in what way it has affected work practice.

Methods: This is a descriptive qualitative study. Data sources for this study were meeting records collected over 10 years and two evaluation surveys (at five and 10 years).  Participants were members of the Network for Eating and Nutrition (n=12 at five years and n=10 at 10 years). The manifest qualitative content analysis was used.

Results: The Network for Eating and Nutrition was seen as offering support for personal and organisational knowledge development. Further aspects of support from the workplaces of the members and the significance for the work places were described. Further the Network for Eating and Nutrition reached out to care receivers by using specifically tailored education programmes and material. The Network for Eating and Nutrition results and recommendations were described as important references for the development of nutrition routines.

Conclusion: Networks between organisations with different professional backgrounds can form a basis for knowledge exchange both for focus on the specific topic but also on how to work with quality improvement, i.e. evidence based practice.

The AR’s (Lewin, 1946) assumption was that human beings exist in life spaces through interaction, and communication, and that knowledge development is the result of changes in cognitive structures through communication and involvement in research processes. And further, from the construction of new knowledge gained by learning from each other, comes the presumption to change. The participation is described as "citizen power" (Arnstein, 1969), which means being included in the development process. The degree of citizen power is based on partnership, delegated power and citizen control. All these steps are positioned at the highest level when ranking participation. Partnership means engaging and negotiating with the high level decision makers. The result of delegated power is apparent when the negotiations result in achieving leading decisions that influence a particular plan or programme.