The Role of Food Insecurity in Relation to Meals on Wheels Participation
Laura Samuel, Emily Gadbois, Kimberly Bernard, Claire Wang, Nichole Stetten, Tiffany Riser, Christopher Liu, Kali Thomas

TL;DR
Food insecurity is common among older adults in the Deliver-EE program, and Meals on Wheels helps meet their nutritional needs, especially for those with financial strain and functional limitations.
Contribution
This study identifies the link between food insecurity, financial strain, and functional limitations in older adults using Meals on Wheels.
Findings
Deliver-EE participants have a five-fold higher risk of food insecurity compared to typical U.S. older adults.
Many Meals on Wheels participants enrolled due to financial strain and difficulty with shopping or cooking.
Food insecure participants often had functional limitations, and Meals on Wheels provides a balanced and affordable diet.
Abstract
Deliver-EE participants have a five-fold higher risk of food insecurity than typical U.S. older adults (47% vs. 9% based on 2023 national data), defined as the inability to afford a consistently balanced diet. This is notable because food insecurity is associated with adverse outcomes including health care spending and dementia risk. Based on subgroup data (n = 376), 93% of participants have financial strain where they had either “just enough” or “not enough” money to make ends meet. This study explored the reasons for enrolling in Meals on Wheels using semi-structured interviews among 31 participants experiencing food insecurity or financial strain. Preliminary findings found many enrolled because they couldn’t afford food and/or transportation, as evidenced by one participant, “I just didn’t have the money.” Others described how financial strain in the presence of functional…
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Taxonomy
TopicsFood Security and Health in Diverse Populations · Nutrition and Health in Aging · Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability
