Predictors of Food Insecurity among Older Adults in the United States

Food insecurity among U.S. households is a national concern. Since 2010, the U.S. Healthy People goal has been to reduce food insecurity to 6%. Despite this goal, 14.5% of households remained food insecure in 2013 (U.S. Department of Agriculture). The purpose of this study was to examine the antecedents of food insecurity among older adults through the lens of the social ecological model.

This retrospective cross-sectional study utilized secondary data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from the years 2007 and 2008 from a sample that included 2,045 adults 60 years of age and older.

Variables related to the constructs of the social ecological model were examined using descriptive, chi-square, and logistic regression analyses.

Analyses of the model indicated that the severity of depression, reports of financial support, and having ever received household food stamp benefits had statistically significant main effects on food insecurity among older adults.

The study findings have implications for nursing practice, education, and research and could facilitate the development of screening methods, interventions, and policy evaluation that focus on food insecurity at multiple spheres of influence among the targeted population.