Dissertation
Exploring food insecurity using exclusion and food citizenship among adults aged 50 years and older: vulnerability, food-related behaviors, and the perception of rights and responsibilities around food
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Summer 2021
DOI: 10.17077/etd.005825
Abstract
Food insecurity occurs when a household is unable or worried about acquiring enough healthy, nutritious food to enable them to live an active and wholesome lifestyle. Food insecurity negatively impacts those who experience it, and it can be particularly harmful to older adults. This dissertation uses two theoretical frameworks, exclusion and food citizenship, to explore food insecurity among adults aged 50 years and older through (1) a secondary data analysis of Health and Retirement Study data exploring the relationship between political, economic, social, and cultural vulnerability as conceptualized by the exclusion framework and food insecurity, (2) interviews with 60 older Iowans about where and why they acquired their food during the COVID-19 pandemic using the food citizenship framework, and (3) interviews with 20 older Iowans about how they perceive the right to food and responsibilities around food, which are key components of food citizenship. The secondary data analysis sample included 2,460 adults aged 50 years and older who were not living in a nursing home. It found the economic, social, and cultural vulnerability were significantly associated with the likelihood of experiencing food insecurity. The first interview study’s sample included 60 Iowans aged 50 years and older recruited from Area Agencies on Aging and food pantries. It found that respondents mainly did not change where they got their food during the pandemic, that while many used alternate food sources such as farmers markets to acquire food, they were not a major source of food, and that personal preferences, price, and the healthfulness of food were the major factors influencing food choices. Policies and programs that provided financial support or directly provided food aided respondents in having enough food and being able to consume a healthy diet. The second interview study used a sub-sample of 20 Iowans aged 50 years and older from the first interview study. It found that respondents believed that individuals have a right to food, conceived that the right to food is about the freedom to make choices, and that access and rights are separate issues. It also found that respondents believed that the government, producers, processors, distributors, and retailers have a responsibility to provide access to healthy food. Still, respondents said that ultimately there is an individual responsibility to access enough and healthy food. These results support the need to broadly intervene to reduce vulnerability along multiple dimensions and provide support to purchase enough healthy foods, or directly provide healthy foods, to enable older adults to consume a healthy diet and reduce food insecurity.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Exploring food insecurity using exclusion and food citizenship among adults aged 50 years and older: vulnerability, food-related behaviors, and the perception of rights and responsibilities around food
- Creators
- Patrick J. Brady
- Contributors
- Natoshia Askelson (Advisor)Sato Ashida (Committee Member)Faryle Nothwehr (Committee Member)Brandi Janssen (Committee Member)David Frisvold (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Community and Behavioral Health
- Date degree season
- Summer 2021
- DOI
- 10.17077/etd.005825
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- xv, 226 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2021 Patrick J. Brady
- Language
- English
- Description illustrations
- color illustrations
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 165-197).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
Food insecurity occurs when a household worries about or cannot get enough food or get healthy foods. Crises like the COVID-19 pandemic can make it even more challenging to get enough food, especially for vulnerable groups, such as older adults. Food insecurity among older adults hurts their health and ability to fully live their lives. My first study looked at the relationship between vulnerability and food insecurity using survey data. It showed that more vulnerable older adults were more likely to be food insecure. My second study used interviews with older Iowans to look at where people get food and why they choose the foods they do during the COVID-19 pandemic. It showed that even though food prices rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, older Iowans did not change where they got their food and mainly relied on grocery stores, convenience stores, and food pantries. It also showed that respondents choose their foods by food prices and how healthy the foods are. My third study used interviews with older Iowans to look at how they think about rights and perceived responsibility around food. It showed that older Iowans think that people have a right to food and have a responsibility to eat safe and healthy foods. The respondents also said that the government, community-based organizations like food pantries, and individuals are responsible for making sure people in their communities have enough healthy food. These results can be used to better meet older adults' food needs and improve access to healthy, nutritious foods.
- Academic Unit
- Community and Behavioral Health
- Record Identifier
- 9984124471202771
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