Food Security and Food Insecurity among Older Adults

Objectives: Many developed countries face a problem of food insecurity. Such a situation may have health implications. Afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish (or vegetarian equivalent) every second day is one of the nine deprivation items agreed by EU to measure economic strain, and consequently material deprivation (EU council of Ministers, 1985). The study has three main goals: First, to identify predictors of food insecurity among the elderly population; Second, to identify the relation between food insecurity and state of health; Third, to determine whether elderly households’ budget constraints force them to choose between private funding of healthcare services and regular consumption of food.

Methods: The study is based on data from the most recent wave of the SHARE-Israel.

Results: 36% of elderly men and women reported that they tend to consume meat or chicken at most three times a week; 21% of men and 11% of women reported that they tend to consume vegetables or fruits at most three times a week. The likelihood that a household cannot afford for economic reasons to consume meat / vegetables or fruit at least three times a week increases in households less healthy and in the absence of access to services in neighborhood. An increase in expenditure on health services out of the total revenue increases the likelihood that a household cannot afford to eat meat/vegetables or fruits more than 3 times a week.

Conclusions: Predictors indicate socio-economic disparities about food insecurity which are not fully explained by demographic factors. Accessibility neighborhood services, economic efficacy, health status and level of expenditure on health services are important factors for reducing food insecurity among elderly population in Israel. There is a need to focus on programs to reduce the burden of expenditure on health services that are required to pay and to expand the basket of services that neighborhood are available for the elderly.