Skip to main content
NUTRITION 2025 Main banner

Encore Abstract Poster Session 3

(EA03-17-25) Food Security for NC Older Adults, Relating to Health Conditions and Aging-In-Place Intentions

Monday, June 2, 2025
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM ET
Location: Poster Board D-22

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Christiana O. Ugbem, MS

    Student
    North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
    Greensboro, North Carolina, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • EH

    Elizabeth N. Hopfer

    North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
    Greensboro, North Carolina, United States

  • ML

    Minyong O. Lee

    North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
    Greensboro, North Carolina, United States

  • SL

    Sung-Jin O. Lee

    North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
    Greensboro, North Carolina, United States

Disclosure(s):
Christiana O. Ugbem, MS: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Scientific conference where the work was recently presented: The 2024 Sigma Delta-82nd PAWC Student Research Poster Presentation (John Kennedy Hall, Tuskegee University)

Date on which the work was previously presented at the scientific conference listed: November 17, 2024

Objectives: Using a comparative analysis approach, the study aimed to examine food insecurity among older adults in North Carolina (NC) in relation to their health conditions and aging-in-place intentions using grocery store satisfaction as a measure of food security status.

Methods: Data were collected through an online survey completed by 825 NC older adults aged 62 and over. Respondents who were highly satisfied with their grocery stores were considered food-secure, while those who were less likely to be satisfied were classified as food-insecure. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were conducted (p < .05) using IBM SPSS.

Results: Older respondents in the food-secure group consisted mostly of those with some college degree or more; did not live alone; had an annual income of more than $25,000; females; Caucasians. One-way ANOVA revealed a significant difference in that the food-secure group was more likely to have lower ADL (activity of daily living) difficulty scores compared to those in the food-insecure group. Additionally, the food-secure group was more likely to express a desire to age in place in their homes than the food-insecure group. Chi-square tests further indicated a greater likelihood of food security in older adults without disabilities.

Conclusions: This study highlights the critical role of accessible and quality grocery stores with community planning initiatives, which will be able to assist older adults’ successful aging in their homes and/or communities.

Funding Sources: This research was supported by the intramural research program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture [Evans-Allen # NC.X-348-5-22-170-1].