 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Joseph R. Sharkey, PhD, MPH, RD, School of Rural Public Health, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, 1103 University Drive, Suite 203, College Station, TX 77840, (979) 458-4268, jrsharkey@srph.tamushsc.edu and Nancy E. Schoenberg, PhD, Behavioral Science, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, 125 College of Medicine Office Building, Lexington, KY 40536-0086.
Abstract Text Objectives: To examine racial differences in food insufficiency in homebound elders who receive home-delivered meals, food insufficiency was assessed during two home assessments (one-year interval) in a randomly recruited sample of 345 homebound elders (aged 61-98 years, 49% black, 81% female, 66% income <$750/month, and 58% live alone). Methods: Analyses used c2 test and multinomial logistic regression. Dependent variable was levels of food insufficiency derived from a summary scale. Results: Overall baseline food insufficiency was more prevalent among homebound blacks compared with whites (49% v 33%, p<0.01), with 40% blacks moderately (v 28%) and 9% severely (v 5%) insufficient. After controlling for covariates, odds for being moderately (OR 1.8) and severely (OR 4.1) food insufficient were greater for blacks. At year 2, 72% blacks and 38% whites were food insufficient (p£0.001), with 61% at moderate (v 29%) and 11% severe (v 9%) levels. Controlling for covariates and baseline food insufficiency, the odds for being moderately food insufficient at year 2 remained greater for blacks (OR 4.1). Conclusions: These results suggest that the severity of food insufficiency increased over one year and remained greater among black home-delivered meal participants. Since food insufficiency may be associated with dietary and health-related outcomes and place homebound black elders at increased risk for functional decline and loss of independence, prospective research is now needed to identify appropriate interventions to reduce food insufficiency and improve dietary and health-related outcomes among the growing homebound older population.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Aging, Food Security
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.