Cross-sectional association of food insecurity with loneliness in older adults: The role of sex, age, and psychosomatic factors

Razak M. Gyasi; Emelia Aikins; André Hajek; Jones Opoku-Ware; Benjamin Appiah Osei; Joana Kwabena-Adade; Louis Jacob; Masoud Rahmati; George Dakurah; Karl Peltzer

doi:10.1016/j.jnha.2024.100328

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Cross-sectional association of food insecurity with loneliness in older adults: The role of sex, age, and psychosomatic factors

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Cross-sectional association of food insecurity with loneliness in older adults: The role of sex, age, and psychosomatic factors

Razak M. Gyasi, Emelia Aikins, André Hajek, Jones Opoku-Ware, Benjamin Appiah Osei, Joana Kwabena-Adade, Louis Jacob, Masoud Rahmati, George Dakurah and Karl Peltzer

The Journal of nutrition, health & aging, Vol.28(9), 100328

09/2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnha.2024.100328

Appears in Recent National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine Publications

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Abstract

Food insecurity

Hunger

Older adults

Perceived isolation

Social determinant of health

Objective Food insecurity (FI) is a critical social determinant of poor psychosocial health. While data on the specific roles of sex and age in the FI-loneliness link among older adults are limited, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. This study examines the age-sex-specific associations of FI with loneliness among older adults in Ghana and quantifies the extent to which psychosomatic factors mediate the association. Methods We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Aging, Health, Psychological, and Health-seeking Behavior Study in Ghana. The past 30-day FI was assessed using items on hunger and breakfast skipping frequency due to a lack of resources. We assessed loneliness severity with the University of California, Los Angeles 3-item Loneliness Scale. Multivariable OLS regressions and bootstrapping mediation analysis using the Hayes PROCESS macro plug-in were used to evaluate the associations. Results We included 1,201 individuals aged ≥50 years (mean = 62.9 [SD = 11.9]; women = 63.3%). The prevalence of loneliness was 17.7%. The prevalence of moderate and severe FI was 44.0% and 8.5%, respectively. In the adjusted model, greater FI was significantly associated with loneliness severity (B = .22, SE = .029, p < .001). We found significant interactive effects of FI × age (B = −.17, SE = .023, p < .01) and FI × sex (B = −.28, SE = .036, p < .001) on loneliness. Thus, the FI-loneliness link was respectively more marked among women (B = .25, SE = .035, p < .001) and ≥65 age groups (B = .34, SE = .041, p < .001) than men (B = .16, SE = .051, p < .01) and those aged 50−64 (B = .22; SE = .040, p < .001). Finally, comorbid depression/anxiety (41.07%), hopelessness (48.6%), worthlessness (42.1%), functional limitations (8.2%), and pain severity (6.4%) mediated the FI-loneliness association. Conclusions Age- and sex-specific associations between FI and loneliness exist among older Ghanaians. Addressing FI in concert with psychosomatic problems in older adults may contribute meaningfully to reducing loneliness in later life.

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Title: Cross-sectional association of food insecurity with loneliness in older adults: The role of sex, age, and psychosomatic factors
Creators: Razak M. Gyasi - Southern Cross University
Emelia Aikins - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
André Hajek - University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Jones Opoku-Ware - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Benjamin Appiah Osei - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Joana Kwabena-Adade - University of Health and Allied Sciences
Louis Jacob - Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu
Masoud Rahmati - Lorestan University
George Dakurah - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Karl Peltzer - Mahidol University
Publication Details: The Journal of nutrition, health & aging, Vol.28(9), 100328
Publisher: Elsevier Masson SAS
Identifiers: 991013214013302368
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS on behalf of SERDI Publisher. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Academic Unit: National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

Cross-sectional association of food insecurity with loneliness in older adults: The role of sex, age, and psychosomatic factors

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