Navigating Food Insecurity as a Rural Older Adult: The Importance of Congregate Meal Sites, Social Networks and Transportation Services

Valliant, Julia C. D.; Burris, Mecca; Czebotar, Kamila; Stafford, Philip B.; Babb, Angela; Waldman, Kurt B.; Knudsen, Daniel C.

doi:10.1080/19320248.2021.1977208

Cited by 15 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…In other words, increased food access provides families with more control over other expenses, an important factor for coping and adapting to limited resources [ 9 ]. Our findings confirm recent research showing that social networks and community sources of food (i.e., congregate meal sites) are important for maintaining nutrition for rural residents [ 34 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

The Association between Food Insecurity and Making Hunger-Coping Trade-Offs during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Sources of Food and Easiness in Food Access

et al. 2022

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Many individuals make financial, health and food related trade-offs to cope with the challenges of food insecurity and to meet their household needs for healthy, affordable food. A survey (n = 652) was conducted in nine rural counties in South Carolina, USA, during the COVID-19 pandemic from August 2020 to July 2021. We examine if level of food insecurity predicts hunger-coping trade-offs, and whether this relationship is moderated by easiness in food access and dependence on different food source types. Nearly one-third of the respondents experienced food insecurity. Making trade-offs between paying for food and other household expenses was common among the rural residents as on average they made nearly one type of trade-off in the past three months. The number of trade-offs was the highest among highly food insecure respondents (mean = 2.64), followed by moderately food insecure respondents (mean = 1.66); low food insecure respondents had the lowest number of trade-offs (mean = 0.39). The moderating effects of easiness in food access and dependence on food sources varied by level of food insecurity. The results show that individuals at different levels of food insecurity use different strategies to fulfill their food needs and social programs are more often utilized than personal food sources. We conclude with implications for addressing food insecurity in order to reduce the possibility of making trade-offs.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

The Association between Food Insecurity and Making Hunger-Coping Trade-Offs during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Sources of Food and Easiness in Food Access

et al. 2022

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“…The onset of the pandemic provided a natural experiment that reduced some older adults' opportunities to take meals with others, a pattern which in this sample was associated with increased loneliness among the 49% who ate with others less after the start of the pandemic than they did prior. This finding echoes prior work [29] and suggests some of the value to mental health that congregate meals, such as those stipulated under the Older Americans Act, may provide to support the resilience of older adults.…”

Section: Plos Onesupporting

confidence: 83%

“…We also tested the models for overdispersion by looking at the ratio of the residual deviance to residual degrees of freedom, and all values were under 1.3 (0.26, 1.16, and 1.29 respectively for food security, unhealthy days, and loneliness models). Based on focus group results from an earlier stage of this study that indicated transportation being a barrier for food security and social interaction for certain types of adults in this sample [29], we included an interaction term for age and the transportation variable in each model. This term was not significant in any model so we removed it from the final models.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

“…infrastructure to support rural residents in the future. We propose a number of ways to start: developing a spatiotemporal lens on food retail [32] and emergency food outlets [31] for rural residents; redoubling public and private support of congregate meal opportunities for older adults [29]; improving rural transportation; and a renewed and coordinated focus on increasing healthcare, educational and cultural services in rural America.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

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Food security and well-being among older, rural Americans before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

et al. 2022

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The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many aspects of our lives. Older adults, those with less income or fewer resources, and those living in rural parts of the United States are potentially more vulnerable. To understand the negative impact of COVID-19 on perceived food security, physical and mental health, and loneliness in a sample of older, rural, low-income adults in the United States, we use results from a mailed survey in which residents of four Indiana counties contrasted their status during the early period of the pandemic to their typical pre-pandemic status. We test for significant changes in status and what predicts negative impacts to food security, health, and loneliness. We asked respondents to report on both pre-pandemic and since-pandemic experiences in the instrument, which was administered after the pandemic had begun, in May 2020. We measure food security using the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module (six-item short form; HFSSM), physical and mental health using the Centers for Disease Control’s Healthy Days Measures (HRQOL-4), and loneliness using the UCLA Revised Loneliness Scale. A binomial test identified significant declines in status for all three measures. Logistic regressions identified factors associated with each of the measures worsening. Fear of going to the store or food pantry was associated with all three measures. Decreased store hours and closed food pantries were associated with lower food security. More education, fewer years of age, being female, decreased income, and stockpiling were associated with more reported days of poor physical or mental health. Fewer years of age, lack of transportation, and eating less often with others were associated with perceived increased loneliness. The pandemic had a negative impact on respondents’ food security, unhealthy days, and loneliness, but different factors were associated with each measure for this population. Our findings provide insight for targeted recovery efforts.

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“…Shutdowns and stay-at-home orders, while important for mitigating the spread of the virus, played a role in increasing food insecurity, isolation, and feelings of loneliness [ 1 , 4 , 5 ]. Congregate meal sites, including many senior centers, were shut down due to the pandemic [ 6 ]. This took away one of the few, if not the only, opportunities for older adults in rural spaces to socialize and share a reduced-cost meal with others [ 6 , 7 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Interactions of Food Security, Health, and Loneliness among Rural Older Adults before and after the Onset of COVID-19

et al. 2022

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Older adults and those living in rural areas face unique challenges to health and food security which were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examine the interrelationships among food security, physical health, and loneliness among rural older adults before the onset of and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from a cross-sectional household survey of older adults in rural Indiana, administered May 2020 through July 2020, our results show a higher prevalence of food insecurity, poorer physical health, and increased loneliness after the onset of the pandemic. Path analyses confirmed the interrelationship between food security, health, and the absence of loneliness before and after the onset of COVID-19. Loneliness emerged as a major pathway through which the pandemic impacted quality of life, particularly affecting older women and physical health. Policy initiatives should consider the unique experiences and challenges associated with rural life among older adults and create food security initiatives that incorporate socialization while also considering the challenges associated with poor physical health in older age. Furthermore, our analysis shows that those who are vulnerable to food security, poor health, and loneliness in the absence of a global pandemic remain vulnerable during a pandemic.

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Navigating Food Insecurity as a Rural Older Adult: The Importance of Congregate Meal Sites, Social Networks and Transportation Services

Cited by 15 publications

References 54 publications

The Association between Food Insecurity and Making Hunger-Coping Trade-Offs during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Sources of Food and Easiness in Food Access

The Association between Food Insecurity and Making Hunger-Coping Trade-Offs during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Sources of Food and Easiness in Food Access

Food security and well-being among older, rural Americans before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Interactions of Food Security, Health, and Loneliness among Rural Older Adults before and after the Onset of COVID-19

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