The Relationship between Political, Economic, Social, and Cultural Vulnerability and Food Insecurity among Adults Aged 50 Years and Older.

Patrick J Brady,Brandi Janssen,David Frisvold,Sato Ashida,Natoshia M Askelson,Faryle Nothwehr

doi:10.3390/nu13113896

Patrick J Brady, Brandi Janssen + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13113896

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Abstract

Individuals experience food insecurity when they worry about or have limited access to nutritious foods. Food insecurity negatively impacts older adults’ health. Social exclusion is a theoretical framework describing how unequal access to rights, resources, and capabilities results in political, economic, social, and cultural vulnerability, which leads to health disparities. We used the Health and Retirement Study to cross-sectionally examine associations between vulnerability and experiencing food insecurity in adults 50 years and older using the social exclusion framework. We tested the association between experiencing food insecurity and indicators of political, economic, social, and cultural vulnerability using logistic regression controlling for demographic and health-related factors. Analyses were performed with all respondents and sub-group of respondents with incomes less than 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Assets (OR = 0.97 in both samples), income (OR = 0.85, 0.80 in 400% FPL sub-sample), perceived positive social support from other family (OR = 0.86, 0.84 in 400% FPL sub-sample), and perceived everyday discrimination (OR = 1.68, 1.82 in 400% FPL sub-sample) were significantly associated with food insecurity. Perceived positive social support from spouses, children, or friends and U.S. citizenship status were not significantly associated with food insecurity. Further research is needed to define and measure each dimension of vulnerability in the social exclusion framework. Interventions and policies designed to prevent food insecurity should address these vulnerabilities.

Highlights

Food insecurity is a substantial public health problem affecting approximately one in ten adults aged 50 years and older [1,2]
The aim of this study is to demonstrate the relationship between vulnerability as defined by the social exclusion framework and food insecurity among adults aged 50 years and greater by conducting a cross-sectional, secondary analysis of Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data
For the social vulnerability indicators, about 28% of the sample with any incomes and 34% of the sample with incomes less than 400% federal poverty level (FPL) were living alone and the greatest amount of perceived positive social support came from children and the lowest from spouses in both income groups

Summary

Introduction

Food insecurity is a substantial public health problem affecting approximately one in ten adults aged 50 years and older [1,2]. The prevalence of food insecurity in the United States in 2020 was 10.5% [3], which is a significant decrease from the prevalence of 14.3% in 2013 when the data analyzed in this manuscript was collected [4]. Sntuthdaitesfohoadvaessihsotawnncethparot gforaomdsasusicshtaanscSeNpAroPgrams su and home-delSivNerAePd amnedalhsopmroeg‐draemlivsearreedemffeecatlisvperaotgrreadmucsianrgetehfefercitsikveofaet xrepderuiceinncgintgheforoisdk of exper insecurity [24i,n25g],foaonddionlsdeecruraidtyul[t2s4w,25h]o, aanredionledleigriabdleuflotsrwSNhoAaPrediuneeltiogitbhleeirfoimr SmNiAgrPandtue to the status are at imncirgeraasnetdstraitsuksoafreexapteinricernecaisnegd froisokdoifnesxepcuerriiteync[i2n6g].foTohderiensiescaulrsiotye[v2i6d]e.nTcheere is als showing that dhaevnicnegsahdoewqiunagtethhaetalhthaviinnsguraadnecqeumataeyhimeapltahctinfosuodrainncseecmuraiytyi.mFopracetxafomopdlei,nsecurity Medicaid expaenxsaimonpulen,dMeredthiceaAidffoexrdpaabnlseioCnaruenAdcetristhaessAocffiaotreddabwliethCaarreedAuccttiiosnaisnsorcaitaetseodf with a r very low foodtsioecnuirnityraatmesoonfg vloewry-ilnocwomfoe,ondosneecluderirtlyy achmilodnlegssloawdu‐ilntsc,owmheo, mnotnheeldpreorlgyracmhildless ad targets [27]. Lack of perceived social support has been shown to be associated with food insecurity [35,36], and social support has been shown to be a major factor in food exchanges among food insecure older adults [37]. Culturally stigmatized groups such as Black or Hispanic households are more likely to experience food insecurity [1,3]

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