Quality of diet related to food insecurity and food stamps use among older people

We explore the association between quality of diet and food security status among older persons. Cross-sectional survey of large national samples, from the National Health & Nutrition Examination Surveys (1988-1994 & 2001-2002), in the United States. A total of 5,039 and 2,040 men and women aged 60 and older, respectively. The dependent variable was the healthy eating index (HEI; 2000 and 2005) as a measure of diet quality. The independent variable of interest was food security status and was categorized as food secure, food insecurity receiving food stamps and food insecurity not receiving food stamps. In multivariate analyses, food insecure individuals not receiving food stamps had lower total HEI-2000 scores compared to food secure individuals (b=-3.91, SE=1.81, P=0.0310). Factors independently associated with high HEI (2000 or 2005) scores were female gender, being married, highly educated or wealthy, with very good/ excellent perceived health, or without functional limitations. Food secure individuals had better quality of diet than food insecure individuals. Among food insecure individuals, receiving food stamps was not associated with diet quality. Food insecure families with older individuals may need new methods of dissemination of food and nutrition programs – methods that yield positive and promising changes in the health status of this special population group.