ABSTRACT
Food insecurity is the inability to get enough nutritious food; thus, both the quantity and nutritional quality of available food must be considered. The Unite States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service has defined four levels of food security: high, marginal, low, and very low. Inadequate financial resources are often responsible for food insecurity, but other factors may be involved. The 2018 Food Security Supplement reported that 7.5% of households containing older adult members and 8.9% older adults who lived alone were classified as food insecure, while 2.6% of households with older adults and 3.4% of older adults living alone experienced very low food security. Food insecurity involves many social and demographic factors. Food insecure older adults may choose to take less medication to save money. Persons who are food insecure use a variety of actions or coping strategies to acquire food and pay bills.
