Journal article
Joanna Rees, Tina Yan, Melanie Clark, Melanie Jolly, Alex Fisher, Amanda Devine, Simon Laws, Kelly Moes, Travis Cruickshank
Disability and Rehabilitation, 2026, pp. 1-16
Disability and Rehabilitation, 2026, pp. 1-16
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APA
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Rees, J., Yan, T., Clark, M., Jolly, M., Fisher, A., Devine, A., … Cruickshank, T. (2026). Exploring factors that influence meal management and eating behaviours in people living with Huntington’s Disease . Disability and Rehabilitation, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2026.2735448
Chicago/Turabian
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Rees, Joanna, Tina Yan, Melanie Clark, Melanie Jolly, Alex Fisher, Amanda Devine, Simon Laws, Kelly Moes, and Travis Cruickshank. “Exploring Factors That Influence Meal Management and Eating Behaviours in People Living with Huntington’s Disease .” Disability and Rehabilitation (2026): 1–16.
MLA
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Rees, Joanna, et al. “Exploring Factors That Influence Meal Management and Eating Behaviours in People Living with Huntington’s Disease .” Disability and Rehabilitation, 2026, pp. 1–16, doi:10.1080/09638288.2026.2735448.
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@article{joanna2026a,
title = {Exploring factors that influence meal management and eating behaviours in people living with Huntington’s Disease },
year = {2026},
journal = {Disability and Rehabilitation},
pages = {1-16},
doi = {10.1080/09638288.2026.2735448},
author = {Rees, Joanna and Yan, Tina and Clark, Melanie and Jolly, Melanie and Fisher, Alex and Devine, Amanda and Laws, Simon and Moes, Kelly and Cruickshank, Travis}
}
ABSTRACT
Purpose: People living with Huntington’s disease (pwHD) experience cognitive and motor changes that affect meal planning, preparation and food consumption. This study explored factors that influence meal management and eating behaviours of pwHD and their families.
Methods: This is a qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. Participants included gene-positive individuals living in Perth Western Australia, ranging from asymptomatic or experiencing subtle changes, to early to mid-stage HD.
Results: Nine individuals (mean age 47±12.3years) were interviewed for the study, including five gene-positive being asymptomatic or minimal symptoms. Seven themes were identified reflecting participants’ existing meal management practices, including 1) independence and autonomy in meal management, 2) diet, food choices and eating patterns, 3) social dimensions of meals and eating, 4) relational dynamics and distribution of food labour, 5) meal-management challenges and stress, 6) adaptive strategies and support systems, and 7) food waste concerns.
Conclusion: The study identified the practical and social influences on meal management in people living with HD. Meal management is a multifaceted experience, and individuals respond to these challenges with diverse coping strategies and supports. Accessible meal solutions should accommodate diverse household contexts, support autonomy in food and meal-related decisions and reduce caregiver burden.
Methods: This is a qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. Participants included gene-positive individuals living in Perth Western Australia, ranging from asymptomatic or experiencing subtle changes, to early to mid-stage HD.
Results: Nine individuals (mean age 47±12.3years) were interviewed for the study, including five gene-positive being asymptomatic or minimal symptoms. Seven themes were identified reflecting participants’ existing meal management practices, including 1) independence and autonomy in meal management, 2) diet, food choices and eating patterns, 3) social dimensions of meals and eating, 4) relational dynamics and distribution of food labour, 5) meal-management challenges and stress, 6) adaptive strategies and support systems, and 7) food waste concerns.
Conclusion: The study identified the practical and social influences on meal management in people living with HD. Meal management is a multifaceted experience, and individuals respond to these challenges with diverse coping strategies and supports. Accessible meal solutions should accommodate diverse household contexts, support autonomy in food and meal-related decisions and reduce caregiver burden.
IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION
- This paper identifies key challenges that people living with Huntington’s disease (HD) face when undertaking meal planning, preparation, and execution in everyday contexts.
- Meal management is shown to be a multifaceted experience shaped by varying levels of autonomy, independence, dietary preferences, social contexts, and management strategies, all intersecting with HD-related impairments to influence daily food and eating experiences.
- These findings establish a foundation for rehabilitation strategies that address the complexities of meal management and support meaningful participation for people with HD.
- The multifactorial demands of planning, preparing and cooking healthy meals highlight the need for real-world multidisciplinary approaches, including tailored meal-box solutions that can enhance autonomy and reduce burden on caregivers.