IS THERE AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FOOD INSECURITY AND DIETARY DIVERSITY AMONG SENIORS IN LUBBOCK?

Objectives: To determine household food insecurity and dietary diversity (DD) among seniors in Lubbock, Texas and examine the relationships between food security status and DD. Design: Cross-sectional study design. Setting: Lubbock, Texas. Participants: 200 seniors (≥ 50 years) randomly selected from seven senior centers and Meals on Wheels. Measurements: Socio-demographic and economic questionnaire, the validated Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) for food security and coping strategies, the validated DD scale for measuring the minimum DD for women (MDD-W), and weight and height measurements. P<0.05 considered significant was used for all statistical analyses. Results: The majority of the respondents (59.8%) were categorized as food secure. No significant relationships were observed between DD and HFIAS. The linear regression analysis carried out on the socio-demographic predictors of food security showed that age, household income and money spent on food per month were predictors of food security (R2= 0.233; p<0.000; SEE=4.462). The number of people in the household was the only predictor for DD score (R2= 0.028; p<0.000; SEE=1.929). Conclusions: This study showed a serious problem of household food insecurity among seniors in Lubbock, Texas affecting 40% of seniors. The results provide some of the first insights into seniors’ food security status and DD. No relationship could be established between food security status and DD in this study. Only household size was a predictor for DD in this study and further research is needed to determine quantity of dietary intakes and factors influencing the dietary patterns.