Mental Illness, Not Obesity Status, is Associated with Food Insecurity Among the Elderly in the Health and Retirement Study

Objectives: Food insecurity, limited or uncertain access to adequate nutrition, is an increasingly recognized determinant of health outcomes and is often associated with having obes-ity. It is unclear, however, if this association persists in elderly populations. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 2868 par-ticipants’ aged 65+ years from the Health and Retirement Study. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess associations between food insecurity and body mass index, demographic characteristics, psychiatric history, and medical history. Results: Participants with overweight/obesity had a higher prevalence of food insecurity than leaner counterparts, how-ever, weight status was not a significant predictor of food insecurity after multivariate adjustment. Instead, mental illness, current smoking status, and non-White race were all inde-pendently associated with food insecurity. Discussion: Beyond financial status, health care providers are encouraged to use these characteristics to identify elderly patients that may be at risk of food insecurity.