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Food insecurity and cognitive function in Puerto Rican adults
Xiang Gao1, Tammy Scott, Luis M Falcon
1Department of Nutrition, Harvard University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. xiang.gao@channing.harvard.edu
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|February 20, 2009
Summary
Food insecurity, particularly very low food security, is common in older Puerto Ricans and linked to poorer cognitive function, including memory and attention. Further research is needed to understand this relationship.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Nutritional Science
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Food insecurity is linked to poor health and nutrient inadequacy.
- Limited research exists on the association between food security and cognitive function in older adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of food insecurity in a representative sample of Puerto Ricans aged 45-75.
- To examine the relationship between food insecurity and cognitive function in this population.
Main Methods:
- Food security assessed using the US Household Food Security Scale.
- Cognitive function evaluated using a battery of 7 tests, including Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), verbal memory, attention, visual-spatial ability, and executive functioning tests.
Main Results:
- 12.1% of participants experienced food insecurity, with 6.1% reporting very low food security.
- Very low food security was inversely associated with global cognitive performance (MMSE scores).
- Food insecurity correlated with lower scores in verbal memory, attention, and executive functioning tests.
Conclusions:
- Very low food security is prevalent in this older Puerto Rican population.
- Food insecurity is associated with diminished cognitive performance.
- Further research is recommended to establish causality.
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