biostudies-literatureUnknown17(19)Rueter JApart from individual factors like knowledge or personal motivation, the environment also influences a person's eating behaviour. Food environments can be described as the collective physical, economic, policy and sociocultural surroundings, opportunities and conditions that influence people's food choices and nutritional status. In order to explore how older citizens in rural Germany perceive and handle their food environment, we conducted semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 35 older adults (71 ± 7 years), asking about micro-, meso- and macro-level influences on eating habits. Participants reported social factors to be crucial in shaping their diets, such as preferences of family members or social expectations connected to roles (guest, host). On a physical level, structural aspeInternational journal of environmental research and public healthE6940https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC7579540biostudies-literatureHow Older Citizens in Germany Perceive and Handle Their Food Environment-A Qualitative Exploratory Study.PMC7579540Warrelmann BLindacher VBrandstetter SCurbach JRueter JLoss JfalseHow Older Citizens in Germany Perceive and Handle Their Food Environment-A Qualitative Exploratory Study.Apart from individual factors like knowledge or personal motivation, the environment also influences a person's eating behaviour. Food environments can be described as the collective physical, economic, policy and sociocultural surroundings, opportunities and conditions that influence people's food choices and nutritional status. In order to explore how older citizens in rural Germany perceive and handle their food environment, we conducted semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 35 older adults (71 ± 7 years), asking about micro-, meso- and macro-level influences on eating habits. Participants reported social factors to be crucial in shaping their diets, such as preferences of family members or social expectations connected to roles (guest, host). On a physical level, structural aspe2020-01-01T00:00:00Z2020 Sep2025-05-29T20:00:57.765Z2025-05-29T20:00:57.765ZS-EPMC75795403297739110.3390/ijerph17196940