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Nutrients
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Food Insecurity and Nutritional Health Among Older Adults
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Food Insecurity and Nutritional Health Among Older Adults

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Geriatric Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2026) | Viewed by 1867

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ye Luo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Interests: food insecurity; aging; nutrition; social demography; social gerontology; life course and health
Prof. Dr. Sarah F. Griffin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Interests: chronic disease prevention and management (e.g., obesity, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, asthma, etc.); pediatrics; school health; intervention research; program evaluation; community-based intervention
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food insecurity among older adults is a growing concern worldwide. In the U.S., an estimated 5% to 10% of adults aged 60 and over experience food insecurity, with higher rates among those living in poverty, racial and ethnic minorities, and individuals with limited access to social and community resources. Globally, this issue is also increasing, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to the adverse health effects of poor nutrition, as age-related changes in physical health, income, and social support often limit their access to adequate food. Food insecurity in this population is linked to higher rates of chronic diseases, malnutrition, weakened immune systems, and mental health issues such as depression. Addressing this issue can improve health outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and enhance quality of life, making it a crucial area of research for promoting healthy aging and ensuring equitable access to food and healthcare resources.

This Special Issue invites submissions of novel research findings, methodological advancements, and evidence-based studies that enhance our understanding of the relationship between food insecurity, nutrition, and health outcomes in older adults. Longitudinal studies examining mediating and moderating factors are particularly encouraged.

This Special Issue welcomes the submission of original research articles on this important topic. Manuscripts will undergo a rigorous peer review process to ensure their scientific rigor and quality. 

Prof. Dr. Ye Luo
Prof. Dr. Sarah F. Griffin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food insecurity
  • food access
  • nutrition
  • health
  • aging
  • older adults

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 289 KB  
Article
Do Financial Constraints, Perceived Food Insecurity, and Pro-Environmental Behavior Explain Intentions to Reduce Meat and Fat Consumption in Older Adults? A Preliminary Study
by Marzena Jeżewska-Zychowicz, Robert Gajda and Rafał Kubacki
Nutrients 2026, 18(8), 1259; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18081259 - 16 Apr 2026
Viewed by 387
Abstract
Background: The consumption of meat and high-fat foods is constantly discussed, with attention to their health and environmental consequences, as well as the barriers to changing current behaviors. Objective: The study aimed to examine how pro-environmental behavior, perceived food insecurity, and financial constraints [...] Read more.
Background: The consumption of meat and high-fat foods is constantly discussed, with attention to their health and environmental consequences, as well as the barriers to changing current behaviors. Objective: The study aimed to examine how pro-environmental behavior, perceived food insecurity, and financial constraints correlate with intentions to limit meat and fat consumption among older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2025 among 475 individuals aged 60 to 92 years. The questionnaire includes scales that enable the calculation of four scores: Meat Reduction, Low Fat, Perceived Food Insecurity, and Lack of Financial Support. Additionally, questions about involvement in pro-ecological behaviors and sociodemographic characteristics were included. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine associations between perceived food insecurity, lack of financial support, and pro-environmental behaviors (independent variables) and intentions to reduce meat (Model 1) and fat (Model 2) (dependent variables). Results: Intentions to limit meat correlated positively with buying food produced in an environmentally friendly way (adjusted OR = 2.05; 95% CI: 1.56, 2.69), not wasting food (adjusted OR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.51), and buying local food (adjusted OR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.21, 1.82). Intentions to limit fat correlated positively with buying food produced in an environmentally friendly way (adjusted OR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.27, 2.18) and not wasting food (adjusted OR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.20, 1.76). No relationships were found between the lack of financial support and intentions to limit meat (p = 0.069) and fat (p = 0.600). The perceived food insecurity decreased the likelihood of intentions to restrict fat (adjusted OR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.24, 0.83), but not meat (p = 0.387). Conclusions: To better understand why experienced financial constraints did not influence the intention to reduce consumption of meat and high-fat products, further research is needed that focuses on motivation to change and the ability to change behavior among older people. Nevertheless, the results suggest that enhancing pro-environmental behaviors beyond those directly related to meat and fat consumption may facilitate reductions in meat and fat consumption through pro-environmental behavioral spillover. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Insecurity and Nutritional Health Among Older Adults)
17 pages, 362 KB  
Article
Food Insecurity, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation and Cognitive Function Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Longitudinal Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study
by Ye Luo, Miao Li and Zhenmei Zhang
Nutrients 2026, 18(2), 363; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18020363 - 22 Jan 2026
Viewed by 782
Abstract
Background: Food insecurity may adversely affect cognitive function through pathways involving nutritional deficiencies, chronic stress, and comorbid health conditions, with potentially different effects across cognitive domains. Longitudinal evidence remains limited by time-varying confounding, and it is unclear whether Supplemental Food Assistance Program (SNAP) [...] Read more.
Background: Food insecurity may adversely affect cognitive function through pathways involving nutritional deficiencies, chronic stress, and comorbid health conditions, with potentially different effects across cognitive domains. Longitudinal evidence remains limited by time-varying confounding, and it is unclear whether Supplemental Food Assistance Program (SNAP) participation modifies these associations. Objectives: To examine the longitudinal association between food insecurity and cognitive function using marginal structural models (MSMs), and whether SNAP participation buffers these associations for overall cognition, episodic memory, and attention/mental processing. Methods: 30,641 adults aged ≥50 in the 1998–2020 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) contributed 156,066 person-year observations. MSMs with stabilized inverse probability of treatment weights were used to account for time-varying socioeconomic, health, and cognitive confounding affected by prior exposure. Weighted pooled linear regression models estimated marginal associations and interaction effects. Results: Moderate and high food insecurity were associated with lower overall cognition (b = −0.36 and −0.71, respectively; p < 0.001). Similar graded associations were observed for episodic memory (b = −0.22; −0.43) and attention/mental processing (b = −0.15; −0.28; all p < 0.001). SNAP participation significantly attenuated these associations across cognitive domains, with stronger buffering effects among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic respondents. Effect sizes corresponded to differences equivalent to several years of cognitive aging. Conclusions: Food insecurity is associated with poorer cognitive function across multiple domains, while SNAP participation mitigates these associations. Despite limitations of observational data, these findings highlight the methodological value of MSMs and the potential role of food assistance programs in reducing cognitive health disparities in later life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Insecurity and Nutritional Health Among Older Adults)
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