Effects of Perceived Food Store Environment on Malnutrition and Frailty among the Food-Insecure Elderly in a Metropolitan City

This study aimed to identify food environment factors in the local community that could affect the levels of nutritional status and frailty in 372 older adults (at least 65 years old) experiencing food insecurity and enrolled in the integrated Community Health Promotion Program (CHPP) in two districts of Seoul. The local food environment was assessed using perceived food store accessibility questionnaires. In order to quantify nutrient intake, the 24-h recall method was applied. Malnutrition was measured using the Mini Nutritional Assessment tool, while frailty was assessed using the Frailty Measurement Questionnaire developed for the CHPP. Malnourished or frail elderly adults commonly had a lower intake of cereals and potatoes, meats, and vegetables than those who were not, and their resulting intake levels of energy, protein, iron, and vitamin groups were also significantly lower (all p-values < 0.05). Among the local community food store environment factors, the sufficiency of food stores (odds ratio (OR) = 1.988, 95% confidence interval (CI] = 1.211-3.262), freshness of foods (OR = 1.767, 95% CI = 1.075-2.886), and variety in foods (OR = 1.961, 95% CI = 1.197-3.212) were significant factors affecting the risk of malnutrition. For frailty, the freshness of foods (OR = 1.997, 95% CI = 1.053-3.788), variety in foods (OR = 2.440, 95% CI = 1.277-4.661), and small purchase of foods (OR = 2.645, 95% CI = 1.362-5.139) were significant environmental factors. In conclusion, we found that the perceived food store environment in the local community can influence the occurrence of malnutrition and frailty in vulnerable, urban older adults.