Understanding barriers and facilitators to congregate meal program participation in Texas through a statewide needs assessment.

Congregate meal programs (CMPs) are food-centric nutrition programs under Title III of the Older Americans Act (OAA), intended to reduce hunger, malnutrition, food insecurity, and social isolation in vulnerable older adults and help maintain their independence in their homes and communities. Most CMPs in Texas have suffered from a lack of older adult engagement and participation decline despite the growing older adult population in the state. A mixed-method comprehensive needs assessment study was conducted to identify strategies to facilitate CMP participation. The study utilized state-wide surveys for older adults, CMP employees, and healthcare providers. In addition, the study held twenty-nine focus group sessions to further determine barriers and facilitators of the Texas CMPs. The quantitative and qualitative data was triangulated and analyzed by five researchers. The results identified three major barriers to CMP participation: (1) low awareness, (2) facility restrictions, and (3) changes in the older adults' lifestyle. To address these barriers, we concluded that marketing, engaging activities at the CMP in addition to meal services, and an enhanced and expanded menu would be effective facilitators. Furthermore, this study identified that games, wellness classes, and arts and crafts would attract more engaging participants to the program. The study emphasizes the importance of adapting the CMP programs to meet the community's needs. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12982-025-00880-4.