Abstract
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Stamp Program (FSP) is designed to provide additional food income as a means to enhance food intake, diet quality, and food security for all eligible persons, including older adults. This article reports a portion of survey results gleaned from a convenience sample of 200 seniors with limited incomes. It highlights how Food Stamp Program participants differ from or are similar to eligible nonparticipants in perception of food security, participation in local or federal food and nutrition programs, and other selected characteristics. Seniors participating in the FSP indicated a higher level of perceived food insecurity, had a more pronounced need for additional sources of free food, had significantly lower incomes, and presented with more indicators of physical disability than those who met eligibility requirements for participation in the FSP but were not in the program. FSP participants did not access, to any greater degree than other groups in the sample, other emergency or community food programs to increase food availability in their households. Nutrition educators and outreach workers should work to improve physical access to additional sources of food and to improve a home-delivery network of food to alleviate food anxiety in these clients. Efforts should continue to focus on enhancing the image of the FSP to expand participation by eligible nonparticipating seniors.
OLDER people can be at high nutritional risk because of factors related to functional and cognitive decline, diet-related chronic diseases, availability of nutrition-related support, and issues related to transportation, shopping, and food preparation.1,2 Poverty, though not pervasive among the older population as a whole, markedly affects subgroups including women and minorities and is strongly associated with food insufficiency.3-6 The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Stamp Program (FSP) is available to all persons living in poverty and is designed to increase food purchasing power and improve nutrient intake. Older, Food Stamp eligible adults participate in the USDA Food Stamp Program at a lower rate than other population groups. In 1999, only 32% of eligible older adults were participating in the program compared to 68% of eligible children, 58% of eligible non-elderly adults, and 61% of disabled persons.7-10 This low participation rate compares to levels observed for other elderly nutrition programs, such as congregate meals.8 In addition, studies of Food Stamp use and subsequent diet quality have also demonstrated mixed results in older adults. Some suggest a positive effect on nutrient intake while others show little or no positive effect.1,11-13