Dependency in Activities of Daily Living Is Associated with Household Food Insecurity Among Mexican Older Adults (P04-070-19)
Abstract Objectives To analyze the association between dependency in activities of daily living (DADL) among Mexican older adults and the presence of household food insecurity. Methods Data on 6674 Mexican adults aged ≥60 years and their households were drawn from the 2012 Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT). DADL dependency, measured under the Katz Index (1983), was determined when respondents indicated needing assistance from another person in order to perform at least one DADL. Food insecurity (FI) was measured according to the Latinoamerican and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA). We used Path Analysis to examine the structure of the association of FI with DADL and other socio-demographic variables. Results 22.6% of older adults analyzed were ADL-dependent, and 72.9% lived in households marked by a FI category. We found that DADL (P = 0.001) exerted a significant impact on moderate and severe FI in households not benefiting from a food aid program (P = 0.000) or retirement pension plan (P = 0.000). Conclusions Few studies have explored this issue. DADL are intimately linked to household FI in that they affect the productivity of working adults and their caregivers. The findings from this study support the creation of nutritional policies and programs which address the unique needs of low income elderly people who have functional limitations. Funding Sources N/A.