Abstract
While “food insecurity” is a growing threat to quality of life for many older adults, minority communities are also often burdened with being “food deserts”(lacking access to full-service supermarkets). This study explored age as a factor in access to food and nutrition in a predominantly (67%) African-and Caribbean-American community, and a documented food desert. Survey data (N=423) on demographics, food-seeking behavior, functional activity, and nutrition was sorted by age (37%, over 65 and 63% under) with ANOVA tests for significance (p< .05). Both groups showed similarities by gender, ethnicity, living situations, and distance to supermarkets, but significant differences by income, functional ability, and physical limitations. Fewer older adults had annual incomes over $26,000 at 12% vs 32% (p = .005). More older adults had difficulty walking 10 blocks at 42% vs 21% (p = .001), climbing stairs at 38% vs 20% (p = .017), and “other physical limitations” affecting food-seeking at 45% vs 18% (p = .000). Higher rates of “medical conditions” affecting diet were also noted at 42% vs 28%. The majority in both groups said they could “walk to a large supermarket” at 73% vs 84% (p =.121), but older adults were less able to get food home for a variety of reasons. While food deserts are typically defined by distance to full-service markets, this study suggests that older adults face other obstacles to food security and that other community-based interventions and policies are needed to support aging in a food desert.