Food insecurity at the household level and nutritional status of older people in Mexico

Objective. To estimate the prevalence of food insecurity (FI) in households with members aged 60-and-over, analyzing the association between household FI and the nutritional status of older members. Materials and methods. Data on 6 790 adults aged 60-and-over distributed in 6 591 households were analyzed. FI was measured using the harmonized version for Mexico of the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA). Households were classified according to the level of FI. Prevalences of FI were analyzed by associated variables. Results. The overall prevalence of FI at the household level was 67.0%. FI was higher in native language-speaking households (85.9%), households in rural areas (82.2%) and those benefiting from food-related programs (>79.0%). Positive associations between household FI and low weight in the older person were found. Conclusions. Further analysis on the individual expressions of FI is required to improve food and nutrition interventions during old age.