Food security and socio-demographic indicators in older adults. Zacatecas, México

Abstract

Objective. Identify and compare the association between sociodemographic indicators and food security (SA) in two groups of older adults: state workers and informal or self-employed workers. Method: Analytical and comparative cross-sectional research in >60 years old, simple random sampling and stratified by age (60-70, 71-80 and >81) inegrated by 134 and 123 subjects for the first and second group. An ad hoc questionnaire was applied for sociodemographic data, the AMAI Rule for the Socioeconomic Level and the Latin American and Caribbean Scale for Food Security (ELCSA). Results: female predominance in both institutions (56.7% and 74.0%; average age 68.5 and 67.8 years, respectively). In the Food Insecurity, there was a significant difference between both groups (p=0.001), in the bureaucrats there prevailed slight insecurity with 91% and moderate for the informal ones, 23.6%. The women were the most affected in both groups at all levels (p=0.004). Bureaucrats reach 23.85% of SA, informal workers reach 5.7%, with significant difference (p=0.005). The trend suggests that as age increases, security in both groups decreases. The best socioeconomic level (NSE) was associated with greater food safety with significant Pearson CHI2 (P=.000). Some type of food insecurity prevailed when the subjects were widowers or lived alone with a significant association of p=0.006. Conclusion: Food insecurity is a significant problem among informal workers.