Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly · 2010 · 111 citations · 49 references
Public Health NutritionHealth DisparitiesSocial Determinants Of HealthNutrition SecurityUnderserved PopulationsPreventive MedicineLow-income Older AdultsPopulation NutritionPublic HealthFood PolicyHealth PolicyFood SecurityHealth PromotionHealth EquityCost-related Medication Non-adherenceFood Insecurity IsCommunity HealthHealth EconomicsPractice Crn BehaviorsFood InsecurityHealth BehaviorPracticing CrnMedicine
Low‑income older adults are at higher risk of cutting back on basic needs such as food and medication. The study examined how food insecurity relates to cost‑related medication non‑adherence among low‑income older adults in Georgia. The authors surveyed 1,000 low‑income older adults in Georgia, including new OAA Nutrition Program participants and waitlisted individuals, via a self‑administered mail survey. Nearly half of participants were food insecure and 44% reported cost‑related medication non‑adherence; food‑insecure individuals were 2.9 times more likely to practice CRN, and both food insecurity and CRN were associated with African American race, lower income, younger age, lower education, and poorer health.
Low-income older adults are at increased risk of cutting back on basic needs, including food and medication. This study examined the relationship between food insecurity and cost-related medication non-adherence (CRN) in low-income Georgian older adults. The study sample includes new Older Americans Act Nutrition Program participants and waitlisted people assessed by a self-administered mail survey (N = 1000, mean age 75.0 + so - 9.1 years, 68.4% women, 25.8% African American). About 49.7% of participants were food insecure, while 44.4% reported practicing CRN. Those who were food insecure and/or who practiced CRN were more likely to be African American, low-income, younger, less educated, and to report poorer self-reported health status. Food insecure participants were 2.9 (95% CI 2.2, 4.0) times more likely to practice CRN behaviors than their counterparts after controlling for potential confounders. Improving food security is important inorder to promote adherence to recommended prescription regimens.
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