| Food insecurity among U.S. households continues to rise. Food insecurity is defined as "whenever the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or the ability to acquire adequate foods in socially acceptable ways is limited or uncertain" (Anderson, 1990, p. 1559). Some means of accessing food that may be socially unacceptable including visiting a soup kitchen or food pantry, buying food on credit, relying on friends, family or others for meals, or borrowing money to pay for food (Smith & Richards, 2008). The United States did not reach the Healthy People 2010 goal of reducing household food insecurity by half, to 6%, but rather food insecurity in the US has increased.;The US has been in the midst of a profound demographic transition, the rapid aging of its population. Older adults are a group that is vulnerable to health risks. Most older adults have at least one chronic condition and many have more than one or multiple chronic conditions (Administration on Aging [AOA], 2010). There is a need for theory-based research using national samples to better understand food insecurity among this population.;Using the social ecological model as the conceptual framework, this study examined the factors that contribute to food insecurity among older adults. This study utilized data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from the years 2007 and 2008 from a sample that included 2,045 adults 60 years of age and older. Multivariate analyses were conducted to determine if the social ecological model helped to explain predictors of food insecurity among older adults.;When simultaneously tested in a model, variables emerged as significant from multiple spheres of influence. Analyses of the model indicated that the severity of depression, reports of financial support, and having ever received household food stamp benefits had main effects on food insecurity among older adults that were statistically significant. In addition to the studied hypotheses, marital status, race and ethnicity, education attainment, and private insurance coverage were statistically significant when controlling for all other variables.;This study addressed an important health promotion issue and used a social ecological approach to understand factors associated with food insecurity. The study findings have implications for nursing practice, education, and research and could lead to the development of screening methods, interventions, and policy evaluation that focus on food insecurity at multiple spheres of influence. |
