Paper Title
DIETARY CHANGES IN THE ELDERLY DURING COVID-19 CONFINEMENT: A QUALITATIVE STUDY.

Abstract
Abstract - The objective of this qualitative study was to analyze changes in the diet of the elderly during confinement due to the COVID-19 health emergency in Ecuador. The COVID-19 pandemic can cause death, and the elderly population is one of the most vulnerable to the disease. Confinement as a strategy to prevent the spread of the disease has been effective, however, this situation may limit the elderly or caregivers to perform different activities, which could make it difficult to access a healthy diet.The participants were older adults aged 65 years and older, living in Ecuador. Interviews were conducted and recorded virtually with platforms such as Microsoft Teams and whatsApp for subsequent transcription. Through the reading of the responses obtained from the interview by means of an inferential analysis, the information was codified and categorized, obtaining four categories: diet in the elderly, lifestyle habits, physical activity and perception of healthy diet. Keywords - Covid-19, Dietary Changes, Lifestyle, Elderly.