Barriers to food access and food security among seniors and the association between hypertension and dietary intake patterns in post-menopausal, African American women

Abstract

Although much research has been conducted on the health status of older individuals, few studies have addressed how health status is influenced by factors such as food security, food access, and food choice among the population of older adults. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to investigate food choice and the barriers to adequate food security and food access among seniors, and observe associations between dietary intake, supplement intake, and hypertension among post-menopausal, African American women. Focus groups and food frequency questionnaires were used for this project to better understand the factors that affect dietary behaviors in older adults. Results from this project delineate the influencers of food choice among seniors and explain the association between dietary intake and hypertension for younger and older women. Further, insight is provided for future research and nutrition interventions that may have a beneficial impact on these populations such as implementing an intervention to reduce prevalence of hypertension by increasing supplement intake or creating a survey that could be used at congregate dining sites to improve meal selection.