Policies from various sectors and at different levels are required to address food insecurity among older adults

Vilar-Comptea M, Gaitán-Rossia P, Pérez-Escamillab R.  Food insecurity measurement among older adults: Implications for policy and food security governance  Global Food Security. 2017; 14: 87-95.

Review question

•      How is food insecurity experienced by older adults measured?

Background

•      Food insecurity refers to the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable and nutritious food.

•      There are few studies focused on instruments to accurately measure food insecurity among older adults. Thus, this review aimed to identify how food insecurity among older adults is measured in different countries and contexts, and what impact such information has on policy-making.

How the review was done

•      A detailed search of a number of electronic databases for published studies was conducted. The authors did not specify the exact period covered by the search of the literature.

•      Studies that focused on food security, older adults, and aging were included in the review.

•      A total of 98 studies were identified in searches, and 58 were included in the review after assessments for eligibility.

•      The authors did not acknowledge any funding sources for this review.

What the researchers found

•      Existing literature focuses on the aging-nutrition intersection, while policy and evaluation based on information gathered about older adults and food insecurity is not yet a mainstream focus. In addition, available literature mostly focuses on high- and middle-income countries.

•      The review revealed the key factors influencing food security among older adults: individual factors (for example, age, gender, health status, household composition and income); interpersonal factors (for example, social capital and financial support); institutional factors (for example, health insurance and healthcare services use); and community factors (for example, climate, neighborhood characteristic, and urban/rural environments).

•      Access to food among older adults is a complex behavior, which may be affected by several barriers such as having physical limitations, being socially isolated, and lacking access to transportation.

•      Many different types of scales have been used to measure food security. The evidence about the use of such scales is inconclusive, few capturing the food insecurity experiences of older adults.

Conclusion

•      The systematic review highlights that further research is needed to assess food insecurity among older adults in different regions.

•      The review revealed that food insecurity among older adults is complex and requires to be addressed through policies from various sectors and at different levels.