Food insecurity in American families with older adults has increased in recent decades, and a new study reveals just how much.
The team looked at data from two five-year periods about food insecurity, as well as demographics. The information was derived from families with at least one person in their household who was 60 or older, so it was specific to older adults. According to the report in JAMA Health Network, which was published on Friday, food insecurity among families with older adults increased from 12.5% in 1999-2003 up to 23.1% in 2015-2019.
The researchers also looked at food insecurity rates with regard to other factors like education level and income status.
The rate of recurring food insecurity climbed from 5.6% to 12.6% among those time periods, and chronic food insecurity expanded from 2% to 6.3% during the same time spans. Families with low education, specifically, saw recurring food insecurity increase from 7.9% to 18.3%, and chronic food insecurity surge from 2.7% to 8.8%. Among families with low incomes, recurring food insecurity increased from 17.4% to 34.5%, and chronic food insecurity went from 7.7% up to 18.8%.
During the time periods studied, higher rates of food insecurity continued among people in Black and Hispanic families, as well as those with lower socioeconomic status, and those who participated in government Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) support. Of families using SNAP, 61% experienced food insecurity between 1999 and 2003. This rose to 72% between 2015 and 2019. Also, recurring food insecurity among those participants increased from 41.1% to 50.9% and chronic food insecurity increased from 21.7% to 28.9%
“Overall food insecurity among families with older adults increased substantially during the two decades,” the authors wrote.
“These rising trends are concerning given that food insecurity is negatively associated with virtually every health domain among older adults,” the authors added.
Deaths from malnutrition soared among older adults from 2013 to 2020, a recent report found. Malnutrition in the elderly can lead to longer hospital stays, readmissions, other chronic health issues and even death.
