DETERMINANTS OF FOOD INSECURITY AMONG CONGREGATE MEAL PARTICIPANTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY USING PARTICIPANT INFORMATION MATCHED TO GEOGRAPHIC AND SERVICE PROVIDER DATA

Background: As people age, they are more likely to face financial, medical, and mobility related challenges that can put them at risk of food insecurity. This is a serious public health concern that has been associated with many adverse health outcomes.Objectives: This study examined factors associated with food insecurity among older adults who receive congregate meals from the Administration on Aging’s Nutrition Services Program. Combining participant, geographic, and provider data allowed for a more detailed assessment of older adult food insecurity than is typically possible using other national surveys. Design: A cross-sectional study. We conducted a cross-sectional data analysis using national survey data from the Administration on Aging’s Nutrition Services Program Outcomes Survey, conducted from 2015 to 2016. The data were linked to provider data from the meal site where participants ate. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate the associations between food insecurity and demographic, household, geographic, and provider-level characteristics and circumstances. Setting: Interviews with congregate meal participants were conducted in person at congregate meal sites or another preferred place. Participants: A total of 520 older adults were included as study participants. All older adults were participating in the Nutrition Services Program and receiving congregate meals at the time of the survey interview. All participants were at least 67 years old. Measurements: This study used a 6-item food security measure as the dependent variable. Older adults who answered at least 3 of the 6 questions affirmatively were considered food insecure. Food security was assessed over a 30-day recall period. Results: 18% of congregate meal participants lived in food insecure households. Among congregate meal participants, having low income, difficulty reaching family and friends, past military service, and mobility challenges, and attending a site that provided nutrition counseling were associated with increased food insecurity (most odds ratios ranged from 1.1 to 2.6). Older age, geographic access to food, certain chronic health conditions, and provider-offered nutrition screening and social activities reduced the odds of experiencing food insecurity (most odds ratios ranged from 0.2 to 0.4). Conclusions: Although the Nutrition Services Program helps to alleviate food insecurity, a nontrivial percentage of participants remain food insecure. Nutrition programs can help address clients’ food access limitations by broadening nutrition screenings at meal sites to include more comprehensive assessments based on non-traditional risk factors for food insecurity.

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Associations of Light, Moderate to Vigorous, and Total Physical Activity With the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in 4,652 Community-Dwelling 70-Year-Olds: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Journal of Aging and Physical Activity ◽

10.1123/japa.2020-0317 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Marcel Ballin ◽

Peter Nordström ◽

Anna Nordström

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Metabolic Syndrome ◽

Light Intensity ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Odds Ratios ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Steps Per Day

In this cross-sectional study, the authors investigated the associations of objectively measured physical activity (PA) with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in older adults. Accelerometer-derived light-intensity PA, moderate to vigorous PA, and steps per day were measured in (N = 4,652) 70-year-olds in Umeå, Sweden, during May 2012–November 2019. The MetS was assessed according to the American Heart Association/ National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute criteria. The prevalence of MetS was 49.3%. Compared with the reference, the odds ratios for MetS in increasing quartiles of light-intensity PA were 0.91 (0.77–1.09), 0.75 (0.62–0.89), and 0.66 (0.54–0.80). For moderate to vigorous PA, the corresponding odds ratios were 0.79 (0.66–0.94), 0.67 (0.56–0.80), and 0.56 (0.46–0.67). For steps per day, the odds ratios were 0.65 (0.55–0.78), 0.55 (0.46–0.65), and 0.45 (0.36–0.55). In summary, this study shows that greater amounts of PA, regardless of intensity, are associated with lower odds of MetS. With the limitation of being an observational study, these findings may have implications for the prevention of MetS in older adults.

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Poverty and food insecurity of older adults living in social housing in Ontario: a cross-sectional study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-020-09437-3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Melissa Pirrie ◽

Leila Harrison ◽

Ricardo Angeles ◽

Francine Marzanek ◽

Andrea Ziesmann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Social Housing ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional

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Food Insecurity Is Associated with the Quality of Diet of Non-Institutionalized Older Adults from a Southern Chilean Commune: A Cross-Sectional Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu14010036 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 36

Author(s):

Orietta Segura-Badilla ◽

Ashuin Kammar-García ◽

Addí Rhode Navarro-Cruz ◽

Jacqueline Araneda-Flores ◽

Javier Mancilla-Galindo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Poisson Regression ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Healthy Eating Index ◽

Small Sample ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Modifiable Factors

As the population ages, greater attention to age-related health problems related to diet and lifestyles is needed. Here, we sought to evaluate the associations between demographic and clinical characteristics and food insecurity with the quality of diet of non-institutionalized elderly from a southern Chilean commune. We performed an analytical cross-sectional study in a sample of 376 older adults. Nutritional status was evaluated through anthropometric measurements. Quality of diet was determined by the healthy eating index (HEI), obtained through the frequency of consumption questionnaire. Socioeconomic, demographic, and lifestyle variables were also collected. Ordinal logistic and Poisson regression models were applied to study associations with quality of diet. The sample consisted of more women (81.6%) than men (18.4%). Most older adults were found to live in a situation of vulnerability or poverty (82.4%), with most having food security (65.7%). According to the HEI, only 14.1% had a good quality of diet, 83.8% had diet in need of improvement, and 2.1% had an unhealthy diet. There was an association of food insecurity and cardiovascular risk (according to waist circumference) with lower quality of diet categories. However, an association with the unhealthy quality of diet category was not confirmed with Poisson regression analysis, which was possibly due to the low number of subjects in that category (n = 8, 2.1%). Other modifiable factors like physical activity, hours of sleep, and polypharmacy were not associated with lower quality of diet categories. Socioeconomic status, which is a structural health determinant, was not associated with decreased quality of diet. Since this was a cross-sectional study performed on a small sample from a Chilean commune, directionality of associations cannot be discerned, and future longitudinal studies could aim to better characterize these associations in larger samples of elderly patients.

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Association of socioeconomic, labor and health variables related to Food Insecurity in workers of the Popular Restaurants in the city of Rio de Janeiro

Revista de Nutrição ◽

10.1590/1415-52732015000100007 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 77-87 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Ana Cristina Marcotullio Lopes Falcão ◽

Odaleia Barbosa de Aguiar ◽

Maria de Jesus Mendes da Fonseca

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Rio De Janeiro ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Food Composition ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Study Population ◽

Lower Education ◽

The City

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of perceived food insecurity in households of employees of Popular Restaurants, as well as associate this perception with socioeconomic, labor and health variables. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 273 workers from seven restaurants located in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We applied a questionnaire with different scales and anthropometric measurements were taken. Assessment of food insecurity was performed using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale, classifying individuals in food security and food insecurity. The analyses were performed by calculating the gross and adjusted odds ratio. The logistic regression was performed considering three groups of variables: socio-economic, employment and health. Results: The estimated prevalence of food insecurity was 53.7%. The variables: education (OR=2.39; 95%CI=1.38-4.16), time working in kitchens <29 months (OR=2.72; 95%CI=1.44-5.16) and opinion on the satisfaction with food composition and regularity (OR=2.01; 95%CI=1.12-3.57) were significantly associated with food insecurity. Conclusion: Although the study population find themselves inserted into a social facility to promote food security, food insecurity results are worrying. Additionally, factors like lower education and less time working in restaurants increased the chance to realize their households in food insecurity.

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Food Security of Adolescents in Selected Khat- and Coffee-Growing Areas in the Sidama Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu10080980 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 980

Author(s):

Denabo Juju ◽

Makiko Sekiyama ◽

Osamu Saito

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Maternal Education ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Southern Ethiopia ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Past ◽

Growth Reference ◽

Available Information

Whilst pervasive food insecurity exists among adolescents in Ethiopia, the available information is scant and inconsistent. Therefore, the main objective of this cross-sectional study was to contribute to these gaps by assessing the food security of adolescents in the selected khat- and coffee-growing areas. We selected 234 (117 girls and 117 boys) adolescents aged 12–18 years via stratified random sampling. We measured the height and weight of the adolescents and asked about their food insecurity experiences. We assessed the prevalence of stunting and thinness using the WHO 2007 growth reference standards. Out of the total, 17 (7.3%) and 30 (12.8%) adolescents were stunted and thin, respectively. In addition, 89 (38.0%) adolescents reported food insecurity experiences and nine (3.8%) were overweight. A regression analyses showed that the stunting was associated with the age of the adolescents and maternal education. Thinness was associated with area, gender, and the number of meals. Food insecurity experiences were associated with health problems in the past 30 days. In general, adolescents from the khat-growing area have better food security than those from the coffee-growing area, and the same is true, gender-wise, for girls compared to boys. We recommend possible interventions primarily for adolescents in coffee-growing areas.

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Association of lung function with functional limitation in older adults: A cross-sectional study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0253606 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (6) ◽

pp. e0253606

Author(s):

Yu Gao ◽

Liang Shen ◽

Runqing Zhan ◽

Xiaoxu Wang ◽

Huanhuan Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Lung Function ◽

Confidence Intervals ◽

Dose Response ◽

Functional Limitation ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Inverse Association ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Odds Ratios ◽

Cross Sectional

Introduction Impaired lung function is independently associated with higher rates of disability, however, few studies have examined the association between lung function and functional limitation. This study aimed to assess this association and dose-response relationship in older adults. Methods Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007–2012) was used as a cross-sectional study. Lung function was determined by Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). Functional limitation in older adults was identified by six self-reported questions on physical function. 3070 adults aged 60 and over were enrolled in our study. Logistic regression models and restricted cubic spline models were applied to examine the association between lung function and the risk of functional limitation. Results FEV1 and FVC were inversely associated with the risk of functional limitation. In the full adjusted model, compared with the lowest tertile of FEV1, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of functional limitation for tertile 2 and tertile 3 were 0.5422 (0.3848–0.7639) and 0.4403 (0.2685–0.7220), and the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of functional limitation for tertile 2 and tertile 3 of FVC were 0.5243 (0.3503–0.7848) and 0.3726 (0.2072–0.6698). Furthermore, an inverse association persisted after stratified analysis by gender and sensitivity analysis. Dose-response analyses showed that the odds of functional limitation declined with increase in FEV1 and FVC in a nonlinear manner. Conclusions Lung function was inversely associated with functional limitation among older adults.

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Food security status in households of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in a Ugandan urban setting

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114507691806 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 98 (1) ◽

pp. 211-217 ◽

Cited By ~ 77

Author(s):

John Bukusuba ◽

Joyce K. Kikafunda ◽

Roger G. Whitehead

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Coping Mechanisms ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Food Security Status ◽

Living With Hiv ◽

Hiv Aids

Because HIV/AIDS negatively impacts on the food security status of households, it is crucial to identify how households respond to these impacts, in order to identify positive food security entry points and design strategies that can effectively alleviate food insecurity among the households of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). A cross-sectional study was thus undertaken to establish how HIV affected households in an urban Ugandan setting in terms of response to food shortages and the interrelations between the practice of agriculture by PLWHA households within and around town, food security, access to food aid and dietary diversity among these households. Data for this cross-sectional study were collected using quantitative methods from 144 randomly recruited households of PLWHA (aged 15–49 years) residing in Jinja town in Eastern Uganda. The study showed that the HIV/AIDS pandemic has increased the inability of affected households in the study area to put enough food on the table, possibly because of the continued decreased productivity in these households and the high expenditure on medical costs. Various coping mechanisms identified in the households of PLWHA may contribute to poor adherence to antiretroviral regimes and poor quality of life for all household members. However, the practice of agriculture by PLWHA households was one of the positive coping mechanisms to alleviate food insecurity.

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Usability of a tablet computer designed for older adults: a qualitative approach based on an intra-hospital living-lab for healthcare (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.25186 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Guillaume Sacco ◽

Pauline Carliez ◽

Frédéric Noublanche ◽

Romain Simon ◽

Anne Renaudin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Geriatric Patients ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Satisfaction Score ◽

Tablet Computer ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

System Usability Scale ◽

Perceived Usability

BACKGROUND Usability is the keystone in the evolution of tablet technology in healthcare. The Ardoiz® tablet has been designed with a simplified interface for older adults. OBJECTIVE To assess the perceived usability and satisfaction of the Ardoiz® tablet. METHODS We conducted a mixed methods with cross-sectional study using System Usability Scale (SUS), satisfaction score and workshops, including geriatric patients, healthcare professional and caregivers. RESULTS Between September 25, 2019 and March 11, 2020, 58 participants were included in a cross-sectional study (including 38 patients, mean ±SD 85±6 years, 66% women), 26 in workshops (including 5 patients, mean ±SD 86.4±2.9, 40% women). The SUS was 74±12/100, the satisfaction score was 2.8±0.9/4, with 59% of satisfied participants with the use of Ardoiz® pads. The intent to acquire remained low with 18% (n=6) of participants who would be interested in acquiring the tablet. This tablet computer seemed to be difficult to use by geriatric patients and healthcare professionals, mainly because of its complex homepage. Nevertheless, former caregivers and healthcare professionals thought that the tablet could be of great interest to hospitals for leisure and medical use. The main feedback in order to improve the tablet is to simplify the home page with fewer and more static icons (without switching). CONCLUSIONS Notwithstanding the usability of the tablet, the intent to acquire of Ardoiz® tablet remained low. The interface should be simplified for older adults in order to improve usability and adherence. CLINICALTRIAL NCT04091152

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