Food insecurity doubled over past two decades for families with older adults, study finds

New research has found that food insecurity among U.S. families with older adults has nearly doubled over the past two decades (Source: “Increases in Food Insecurity Seen in U.S. Families With Older Adults,” HealthDay, March 4).
 
According to a study published online March 1 in JAMA Health Forum, from 1999-2003 to 2015-2019, food insecurity among U.S. families with older adults increased from 12.5% to 23.1%.
 
Researchers found higher food insecurity rates among Black and Hispanic families, those with lower socioeconomic status, and those participating in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, across both time periods.
 
"Future research should focus on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity trends and identifying policy and programmatic strategies to reduce food insecurity among families with older adults," the authors write.