Gaining Access to Food: Strategies used by older adults with limited resources

Food insecurity and spatial concerns related to food access, such as food deserts, have become an important issue for public health practitioners and researchers in recent years. However, little work has been done to examine the implications of food deserts for low-income older adults who live on a very limited fixed income. For those with mobility impairments, accessing enough healthy food can be especially challenging. This analysis brings together findings from two research studies involving low-income older adults, 55 and older, who live in or are on a waiting list for subsidized housing in Portland, Oregon; a state where the hunger rate consistently ranks among the highest in the nation. Using quantitative, qualitative, photographic, and spatial data, this poster illustrates some of the strategies low-income older adults use to access affordable food. The first study used auto-photography to understand the meaning of independence and the use of supportive services, including resident-organized support, agency-organized support, and where participants go to access food. The second study surveyed 350 individuals on a waiting list for public housing or a Section 8 voucher; 54% of respondents were food insecure. In addition, 4 focus group interviews with older adult residents of subsidized housing identified attitudes about supportive services and food access. This multiple method approach identifies categories of food access and raises questions about how we conceptualize food deserts and develop interventions for low-income older adults living in an urban setting.