Introduction
Low income is often associated with poor physical and mental health. This issue is aggravated by the fact that economic challenges and impaired self-care capacity limit access of older adults to food. Therefore, it is necessary to understand what factors attribute the poor nutritional status of elderly people to help them select affordable and healthy diets.
Importance of Article and Key Points
The topic of nutritional status among low-income older adults is important in terms of its impact on the health of the mentioned social category. The selected article strives to understand the complex relationship between food insecurity, self-care capacity, and depressive symptoms in elderly people aged above 60 years. Food insecurity refers to the inefficiency to obtain nutrient-rich food by socially acceptable means (Jung et al., 2019). Many representatives of this social group live on a fixed income that does not allow older adults to maintain healthy diets (Jung et al., 2019). As a result, these people experience deficient intake of nutrients, including protein, zinc, iron, vitamins, and so further, which indicates the necessity of assisting the elderly in selecting affordable healthy diets (Jung et al., 2019). Therefore, it is crucial to identify the factors contributing to food insecurity.
Key Findings
First, it is necessary to present the initial information regarding the study. The participants include people aged 65-74, and the majority of them represents black, female, and divorced or widowed, which suggests that people living alone are more likely to encounter problems with food insecurity (Jung et al., 2019). The authors take socio-demographics, self-care capacity, food insecurity, depressive symptoms, and nutritional status as the main survey domains (Jung et al., 2019). The generalized structural equation modeling has been used to identify the level of correlations between the named indicators. These factors and research methods look reliable in terms of showing the impact on the nutritional status of older adults.
The main findings appeared to be valuable in terms of understanding what affects the nutritional status of older adults. Jung et al. (2019) found that lower self-care capacity predetermines higher food insecurity and depressive symptoms. In turn, the combination of poor self-care capacity and depressive symptoms aggravates the nutritional status (Jung et al., 2019). In addition, higher food insecurity leads to increased depressive symptoms (Jung et al., 2019). Besides, the mentioned symptoms both directly and indirectly affect self-care capacity and nutritional status (Jung et al., 2019). Noteworthy, an indirect association has been found between nutritional status and food insecurity mediated by depressive symptoms (Jung et al., 2019). As one can see, the nutritional status of older adults depends directly and indirectly on such factors as self-care capacity, depressive symptoms, and food insecurity.
Originality of Findings
One cannot affirm that the information in the article is completely new, as some findings are already known. For instance, it has been found in previous studies that financial difficulties represent the major factor that prevents older adults from decent access to healthy food (Jung et al., 2019). Jung et al. (2019) also make reference to other researchers who state that self-care capacity should be considered a critical factor that defines the ability of elderly individuals to access food. Furthermore, previous studies also show a strong relationship between food insecurity and depressive symptoms (Jung et al., 2019). For example, older adults having depressive symptoms reported insufficient intake of nutrient-rich food (Jung et al., 2019). Anyhow, the reviewed article confirms the findings of past studies and proposes new connections between food insecurity, self-care capacity, depressive symptoms, and nutritional status.
Communicating Information to Lay Persons
When communicating this information to laypersons, it is necessary to realize that they need information without the burden of statistical data. Thus, the most suitable way of communication is to convey information explaining the risks elderly people may encounter. For instance, it is necessary to demonstrate to non-experts that the inability to shop and prepare their meals increases the risk of food insecurity (Jung et al., 2019). Moreover, low socioeconomic status and high levels of anxiety often stem from an inability to know the source of the next meal (Jung et al., 2019). In this regard, the importance of the support of family members or friends in buying and preparing meals should be emphasized as an activity that prevents the high risk of food insecurity among discussed populations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the nutritional status of older adults depends directly and indirectly on various factors, namely food insecurity, self-care capability, and depressive symptoms. Because of such interconnection, it is vital to consider all possible factors that may impact the health of older adults. Although the reviewed article is based on previous studies, it still provides important insights into the level of correlation between the mentioned factors. Therefore, this study can be significant as a background for developing social and public health policies aimed at preventing food insecurity in older adults.
References
Jung, S. E., Kim, S., Bishop, A., Hermann, J. (2019). Poor nutritional status among low-income older adults: Examining the interconnection between self-care capacity, food insecurity, and depression.Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 119(10), pp. 1687-1694.