(P02-049-25) Food Insecurity and Oral Health in Older Adults: An Analysis of NHANES 2017-2020

Objectives: Food insecurity disproportionately affects older adults in the United States and may increase their risk of oral health problems. Yet, the relationship between food insecurity and oral health in older adults has been understudied. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between food insecurity and oral health outcomes in a nationally representative sample of older adults in the U.S.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 3,422 adults 60 years and older from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2020. Food insecurity was classified based on marginal, low, or very low food security on the Household Food Security Survey. Oral health was assessed via self-report and dentist examination. The primary outcomes were oral pain, tooth decay, and gum disease. All data presented are weighted to population proportions.

Results: The analytic sample included 3,162 with complete food security data and 2,804 who completed an oral examination. In total, 18.8% of older adults reported food insecurity, with 6.7% and 4.6% reporting low and very low food security, respectively. Compared to food-secure older adults, those with food insecurity were more likely to report oral pain (4.3% vs. 13.8%, respectively; P< .0001) and fair or poor oral health (46.8% vs. 21.6%, respectively; P< .0001). Oral examinations revealed that food insecurity was associated with a lower mean tooth count (13.8 [SE=0.6] vs. 20.5 [SE=0.5]; P< .0001), as well as higher odds of decayed teeth (OR=2.06, 95% CI:1.50, 2.84), root caries (OR=3.30, 95% CI: 2.39, 4.56), and gum disease (OR=3.03, 95% CI: 1.77, 5.19).

Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of food insecurity among older adults in the U.S. and may contribute to oral health problems. Further research is needed to develop targeted interventions and public health strategies to address disparities in food insecurity and oral health in older adults.

Funding Sources: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Aging (T32AG049673) of the National Institutes of Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.