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Sex and Race/Ethnic Disparities in Food Security and Chronic Diseases in U.S. Older Adults
Author(s) -
Huffman Fatma G.,
Vaccaro Joan A.,
Zarini Gustavo G.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.791.18
Subject(s) - ethnic group , medicine , waist , national health and nutrition examination survey , gerontology , food security , demography , environmental health , health equity , disease , public health , obesity , population , geography , political science , pathology , sociology , law , agriculture , nursing , archaeology
Background Food insecurity is rising in older adults in the United States (U.S.) and disproportionately among Blacks and Hispanics. Food quality is diminished for persons with food insecurity and this may compromise health and be associated with chronic disease, particularly in vulnerable populations such as older adults. Objective To determine the relationships among sex, race/ethnicity and food security with the likelihood of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and lung disease for a U.S. representative sample of older adults. Methods This study extracted data and appended 2 cycles from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2012 and 2013–2014 that are available for public use. The sample for this study consisted of N = 3871, adults ages ≥ 55 years from five racial/ethnic groups with measures for waist circumference from the Mobile Examination Center (MEC). Specifically, the racial/ethnic categories had 373 Mexican Americans (MA), 398 Other Hispanics (OH), 958 non‐Hispanic Blacks (NHB), 423 non‐Hispanic Asians (NHA), and 1719 non‐Hispanic Whites (NHW). Cross‐tabulations for percent, 95% CI were performed for food security level by race/ethnicity using SPSS version 23 with the complex sample module, applying the MEC sample weight. Results Food security differed by race/ethnicity ( p <.001) with approximately 25% of MA and OH having low‐food security as compared to 17% NHB, 7% NHA, and 6% NHW. Low‐food security was associated with lower self‐rated health, less education, and fewer persons with health insurance. Persons with food security had the highest percent of cancer, 22.1 (20.0, 24.3) as compared to those with the lowest food security, 10.4 (7.2, 14.7). A higher percent of persons with low‐food security, 25.2 (20.0, 30.9) had diabetes as compared to those who were food‐secure, 16.8 (15.0, 18.6). Compared to adults who were food‐secure, adults with lower food security was associated with a higher percent of cardiovascular disease [23.7 (18.9, 29.2) vs. 14.6 (13.1, 16.3)], lung disease, [28.9 (23.3, 35.3) vs. 19.2 (16.6, 22.2)], high blood pressure [67.2 (61.7, 72.3) vs 54.0 (51.0, 57.1)] and several obesity indicators. Conclusion The results of this study have numerous implications for gerontologists since food insecurity was high in older adults and particularly Hispanics. In conclusion, the results of this study have demonstrated the exacerbation of chronic diseases with low‐food insecurity.