Food security status in seniors over their life course

We examine the life stories of 107 low-income older adults to assess critical points in which to intervene and potentially prevent senior food insecurity. Participants were recruited from various social service agencies throughout Dallas county. They were asked about life experiences, food insecurity, economic hardships, and health challenges. We utilized qualitative (thematic and content) and quantitative (bivariate and multiple regression) analyses. Our data suggest that vulnerable seniors often experience multiple hardships simultaneously, which play off one another and create tradeoffs. These hardships sometimes pose barriers to receiving assistance. Prior experiences of hardship also modify expectations of hardships in older adulthood.