Reliance on others for food-related activities of daily living

Reliance on others for help with food-related activities (grocery shopping and meal preparation) [FADL] can influence food intake and can be considered part of the concept of food security for older adults. Data collected from 193 community-living seniors identified that 29.5% of these seniors required help with these activities. Covariates independently associated with FADL were: muscle strength/size, gender, avoidance of activities due to a fear of falling and occurrence of functionally limiting diagnoses. Mediation analysis identified variables that explain the "how and why" of the association between FADL and food intake. Mediators included informal supports, frequency of informal support, perceived health status, and number of medications. By specifically analyzing covariates and mediators of reliance for FADL, there is further understanding of the relationship between this reliance and food intake in older adults.