Older Americans Act Nutrition Program Improves Participants' Food Security in Georgia

Abstract

It is critical to use convincing research methodology to demonstrate the benefits of nutrition assistance programs targeted to vulnerable older adults. We examined the impact of Older Americans Act Nutrition Program (OAANP) participation on food security in participants and waitlisted people in Georgia using two waves of self-administered mail surveys conducted 4 months apart (n = 717, mean age 74.6 ± 9.5, 70.9% female, 33.2% black). At baseline, 54% of the sample was food insecure. Waitlisted people reported higher levels of persistent food insecurity (45.9%) or becoming food insecure (10.0%) than participants (29.3% and 7.1%, respectively) over 4 months. While considering potential confounders, the estimated odds of achieving food security were 1.65 times (95% CI: 1.10–2.48) higher in participants than in waitlisted people over 4 months. Our data suggest the feasibility of using food insecurity measures to detect the benefits of OAANP participation as well as the need to increase the capacity of OAANP.

KEYWORDS:

• food assistance programs
• food insecurity
• older adults
• Older Americans Act Nutrition Program
• program evaluation

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the U.S. Administration on Aging Advanced Performance Outcomes Measures Project (grant number 427-93-08081298-99 to J.S.L.); the United States Department of Agriculture/Economic Research Service/University of California Davis RIDGE program (grant number SUB07-000687-03 to J.S.L.).

This work was presented in part at the Experimental Biology Meeting in Anaheim, CA on April 26, 2010.

Notes

*CMNP: Congregate Meals New Participants.

†CMNWL: Congregate Meals New Waitlisted.

‡HDMNP: Home Delivered Meals New Participants.

^§HDMWL: Home delivered Meals New Waitlisted.

^∥Significantly different by the program type and participation status at p < 0.05.

^¶FPL: Federal Poverty Level.

^**Lag time between application (for CM or HDM) and the baseline survey in days.

*CMNP: Congregate Meals New Participants.

†CMNWL: Congregate Meals New Waitlisted.

‡HDMNP: Home Delivered Meals New Participants.

^§HDMWL: Home delivered Meals New Waitlisted.

^∥Significantly different by the program type and participation status at baseline at p < 0.05.

^¶Significantly different by the program type and participation status at 4-mo follow-up at p < 0.05.

**Significantly different from baseline at p < 0.05.

^a Based on Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) model.

^b Referents used were home-delivered meals, waitlisted, 60– <75 years of age, male, white, ≥high school education, living in urban area, ≥130 FPL, not receiving food stamps, and better self-reported health.