Heterogeneous factors predict food insecurity among the elderly in developed countries: insights from a multi-national analysis of 48 countries

Jae Yeon Park (), Arlette Saint Ville (), Timothy Schwinghamer () and Hugo Melgar-Quiñonez ()
Additional contact information
Jae Yeon Park: McGill University
Arlette Saint Ville: McGill University
Timothy Schwinghamer: McGill University
Hugo Melgar-Quiñonez: McGill University

Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, 2019, vol. 11, issue 3, No 6, 552 pages

Abstract: Abstract This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of food insecurity and its association with demographic and socioeconomic factors that characterized elderly survey respondents in 48 developed countries. Cross-sectional data came from the Gallup World Poll for the years 2014 to 2017 based on respondents aged ≥60 years (n = 53,556). Food insecurity was assessed using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale, a direct measure of experience-based food insecurity. Descriptive statistics of target populations and the prevalence of food insecurity were produced. Demographic variables included age, gender, marital status, household size, education level, social support, and wellbeing. For socioeconomic variables, income, employment status, urbanicity, and the Community Basics Index were evaluated. A binary logistic regression model was used and the level of statistical significance was set at 5%. Respondents aged 60 to 69 years were the most food insecure. Food insecure individuals were more likely to live alone, not have a partner, and tended to have poorer scores for social support and wellbeing. Also, poor community infrastructure was associated with food insecurity of elderly people, and there were more food insecure elderly people in urban areas. At the multinational level, results indicated wide and statistically significant disparities among continents. The study concluded that not only personal factors but also social conditions could prevent the elderly from achieving full food security status.

Keywords: Food insecurity; Food accessibility; Population aging; Elderly; Developed countries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12571-019-00934-x Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:11:y:2019:i:3:d:10.1007_s12571-019-00934-x

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... ulture/journal/12571

DOI: 10.1007/s12571-019-00934-x

Access Statistics for this article

Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food is currently edited by R.N. Strange

More articles in Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food from Springer, The International Society for Plant Pathology
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().