Sociodemographic correlates of food security status among older adults in central Ohio

Toward a typology of risk

Abstract

Vacillating trends in the prevalence of food insecurity (FI) have been observed in the U.S. While a decline occurred post-pandemic, the cessation of government assistance programs in 2023 resulted in increased prevalence, particularly among older adults, at 5.6% nationally and 7.4% in central Ohio. FI among older adults is concerning due to its impact on morbidity and mortality. Knowledge of associated correlates within geographic regions is limited. Prevalence of FI can vary by region, and central Ohio has one of the highest FI prevalence rates among older adults in the U.S. For this study, a regional cross-sectional survey with stratified random sampling was utilized to inform future development of a typology for assessing FI risk. Older adults aged 50 and above who reside in one of eight counties in central Ohio were invited to participate. The final, regionally representative sample included 1,417 older adults. Data points were weighted to accurately depict the population distribution of the region. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation coefficients, and chi-square tests were utilized to examine differ­ences between sociodemographic characteristics and food security status. We found the majority of participants who were very low food secure had the following characteristics: identified as a woman, were age 74 years or younger, were divorced, widowed, or single, earned an annual household income at or below US$39,999, had completed either some college but had not earned a degree or earned a high school diploma or GED, were either retired but not seeking work or disabled and unable to work, and lived in an urban region. Findings can inform tailored risk assessments, interventions, and referrals to community-based services and government assistance programs in central Ohio and across similar geographic regions.