Abstract Text Objectives: In view of current and future service demands for home-delivered nutrition from an increasing and more diverse older population, we examined routinely collected nutrition (10-item Checklist), function (ADL), and demographic (race, age, living arrangement, economic need, length of service) data from 729 women (46% Black; 60-103 years) who receive home-delivered nutrition. Methods: Cross-tabs with c2, Student’s t, and multivariate ordered logit models were used for cross-sectional analyses. The ordered dependent variable was nutritional risk level (Low/Moderate, High Risk I, High Risk II, and High Risk III). Results: Age-adjusted data indicated that Whites were more likely to live and eat alone and Blacks more likely to report economic need, to receive long-term nutrition service, and to indicate an illness-induced diet change and food insecurity. For both races, age was inversely related to individual risk indicators. The ordered logit results suggested that race, age, living alone, economic need, and length of service were significant factors in the level of nutritional risk. In race-stratified models, younger age, living alone, and economic need were associated with increased risk for Whites; and only younger age for Blacks. Conclusions: There were significant differences in nutritional risk among Black and White women in this sample. Economic need increased the probability for higher levels of nutritional risk more for White women. Further work is needed to help policymakers and service providers to better understand differences among Black and White women who receive home-delivered nutrition in order to properly target nutrition and nutrition-related services.
Learning Objectives: To examine differences in individual indicators of nutritional risk and correlates of nutritional risk level among Black and White women who receive home-delivered nutrition.
Keywords: Nutrition, Elderly
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.