Food insecurity, comorbidity, and mobility limitations among older U.S. adults: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study and Health Care and Nutrition Study.

TitleFood insecurity, comorbidity, and mobility limitations among older U.S. adults: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study and Health Care and Nutrition Study.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2018
AuthorsBishop, NJ, Wang, K
JournalPreventative Med
Volume114
Pagination180-187
Date Published09/2018
ISSN Number1096-0260
KeywordsComorbidity, Disabilities, Food insecurity
Abstract

Both food insecurity and comorbidity have been identified as precursors to functional limitation in older adults, yet whether food insecurity modifies the progression from chronic disease to disability has not been assessed. We examined 5986 respondents age 50 and older drawn from the 2012-2014 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and 2013 Health Care and Nutrition Study (HCNS). Mobility limitations reported in 2014 and change in mobility limitations from 2012 to 2014 were regressed on measures of food insecurity, number of chronic conditions, and their interaction terms using Poisson regression. Around 17.3% of the sample was identified as food insecure. In 2012, respondents reported an average of 1.9 (SD = 1.5) chronic conditions and 2.4 mobility limitations (SD = 3.0). In 2014, individuals reported an average of 2.5 (SD = 3.1) mobility limitations. Food insecurity was associated with a greater number of mobility limitations (IRR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.11-1.29, p < .001) and more rapid increase in mobility limitations over the two-year observational period (IRR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.00-1.11, p = .047). Food security status also modified the association between comorbidity and both mobility limitation outcomes, with the food secure exhibiting a stronger positive association between chronic conditions and mobility limitations than the food insecure. The food insecure tended to have more mobility limitations than the food secure when few chronic conditions were reported. Our results suggest that food insecurity is associated with prevalence and change in mobility limitations among older adults.

DOI10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.07.001
User Guide Notes

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30003897?dopt=Abstract

Alternate JournalPrev Med
Citation Key9816
PubMed ID30003897
Grant ListU01 AG009740 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States