Quality of diet related to food insecurity and food stamps use among older people

Abstract

We explore the association between quality of diet and food security status among older persons. Cross-sectional survey of large national samples, from the National Health & Nutrition Examination Surveys (1988Surveys ( -1994Surveys ( & 2001Surveys ( -2002, in the United States. A total of 5,039 and 2,040 men and women aged 60 and older, respectively. The dependent variable was the healthy eating index (HEI; as a measure of diet quality. The independent variable of interest was food security status and was categorized as food secure, food insecurity receiving food stamps and food insecurity not receiving food stamps. In multivariate analyses, food insecure individuals not receiving food stamps had lower total HEI-2000 scores compared to food secure individuals (b=-3.91, SE=1.81, P=0.0310). Factors independently associated with high HEI (2000 or 2005) scores were female gender, being married, highly educated or wealthy, with very good/ excellent perceived health, or without functional limitations. Food secure individuals had better quality of diet than food insecure individuals. Among food insecure individuals, receiving food stamps was not associated with diet quality. Food insecure families with older individuals may need new methods of dissemination of food and nutrition programs -methods that yield positive and promising changes in the health status of this special population group.

Food Insecurity and Dietary Intake Among Elderly Population: A Systematic Review

“…[ 9 12 19 ] In five articles, the upper limit age ranges reported were 75, 74, 90, and 93 years. [ 10 11 13 20 21 22 ]…”

“…Four studies had used data from national representative samples of more than 1000 older adults. [ 9 11 12 22 ] Five studies were from national samples that attained their target. [ 9 11 12 13 22 ] All eight studies were stratified by age groups or age and sex.…”

“…[ 8 9 ] Previous investigations found that food insecurity, especially among elderly people, was significantly associated with a lack of social support, health problems, and functional impairments. [ 10 11 ]…”

Nutrition‐Related Policy Fundamentals for Supporting Older Adults in the Community during a Pandemic: Lessons from COVID‐19

“…Unfortunately, older adults with food insecurity have lower overall dietary quality than food‐secure older adults, as measured by USDA's Healthy Eating Index. They consume fewer calories, less protein, and fewer essential vitamins and minerals, versus their food‐secure peers (Lee and Frongillo, 2001; Montoya et al, 2011; The Malnutrition Quality Collaborative, 2020; Eggersdorfer et al, 2018). Poor diet quality increases the risk for malnutrition, which could make older adults more susceptible to a pandemic virus and its systemic effects.…”

WISH4Campus: Evaluating College Food Insecurity and Promoting Solutions for Student Wellbeing

“…Stronger interactions have been identified for food insecure adults. Of 13 reviewed articles, an inverse relationship was identified between food insecurity and dietary quality [49,54,55]. Although not definitive in the childhood population as mentioned before, there is sufficient evidence on the relationship between lower fruit and vegetable consumption among food insecure adults, as well as dairy consumption among working-age adults, but not older (>60 years) adults [48,56].…”