Conceptualizing Food Insecurity Among Older Adults: Development of a Summary Indicator in the National Health and Aging Trends Study

Food insecurity and health outcomes among older adults: The role of cost-related medication underuse

Emma L Tucher, Tamra Keeney, Alicia J Cohen, Kali S Thomas and Deborah S Carr

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2021, vol. 76, issue 10, 2063-2072

Abstract: ObjectivesMeasurement of food insecurity in older adults is focused on financial barriers to food access. Given that older adults are particularly susceptible to additional access-related barriers including functional limitations and lack of social support, the objective of this study was to construct a summary indicator of food insecurity incorporating these domains.MethodsWe used nationally representative survey data from Round 5 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS; n = 7,070). We constructed a summary indicator of food insecurity using factors within the following three domains: functional, social support, and financial limitations. First, we identified the prevalence of food insecurity among the sample as defined by the new summary indicator. Then, we estimated unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models to assess the association between the expanded measure of food insecurity and biopsychosocial factors.ResultsIn 2015, 4.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.75–4.94) of community-dwelling older adults, approximately 1,673,775 million people, were characterized as having food insecurity. Multivariable-adjusted regression models identified that being homebound (odds ratio [OR] 3.49, 95% CI 2.03, 6.00), frail (OR 9.50, 95% CI 4.92–18.37), and experiencing community disability (OR 5.19, 95% CI 3.90–6.90) was associated with food insecurity.DiscussionFood insecurity among older adults is broader than lacking adequate financial resources to obtain food; it is also associated with social and functional limitations. A more comprehensive conceptualization will aid future study on the impact of food insecurity on health status, utilization, and outcomes to inform senior nutrition program targeting and services.

Keywords: Functional health status; Measurement; Nutrition; Social support (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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