User:Sheila Steiner/sandbox

Barriers for elders in rural food deserts

As of 2007, the elderly made up 7.5 million of the 50 million people living in rural America.[1]Of these elderly citizens, nearly a half million live in rural food deserts and are food insecure, while many more may be at risk.[3][4]   A study by Sharkey, et al. from seniors in the Brazos Valley showed that 14% couldn’t make their monthly allotment of food supplies last, 13% couldn’t eat balanced meals and 8.3% had to make their meals smaller or skip them.[5]

Although food deserts affect a wide range of demographics, elders are particularly affected by the obstacles presented by rural food deserts because they have less access to easy and efficient means of transportation, they have limited mobility and time, and they have more specific and sensitive nutritional needs. Elders also experience difficulties in urban food deserts, but this demographic is improportionally affected by rural food deserts, because they are more likely to live in rural areas, (CITE)challenges associated with transportation affect them more and a higher percentage live on fixed incomes.CITE

Transportation

Seniors often have limited means of transportation in rural food deserts because they are much less likely to own a vehicle and drive.  Studies show that at age 75, only 69% of elderly people still drive (and woman and minorities drive even less[7]),  and without reliable public transportation or car services, have much less access to grocery stores.As a result it is 9.6% more probable that elders without a car living in a food desert will skip meals than those with one. Because of their lack of access to vehicles, older people are more  likely to be dependent on those in their community to get food. A lack of decent public transportation services, especially in rural areas, also makes it harder for the elderly population to get food.

Inability to Leave the Home

Also, seniors have constraints that make it difficult for them to leave their home, including factors such as lack of mobility, health ailments, caring for sick loved ones, and mental health concerns.  Although these concerns are not limited to rural elders specifically, this combined with the transportation obstacles found in rural food deserts adds another layer of difficulty for this population.  Elders often have health constraints and limited mobility, with 47% of people age 75 and over reporting some sort of physical difficulty, 27% and 15.3% reporting extreme difficulty walking a quarter of a mile and carrying 10 lbs respectively, which makes it very difficult to grocery shop in rural areas. Also, elders are much more likely to have a sick spouse or person in the community that they have to monitor or take care of at all times, which makes it much harder to find the time to go to the grocery store, especially when it is 10+ miles away, in the case of rural food deserts. CITE THIS Finally, studies suggest that depression (which 7 million people age 65 and older experience each year) makes elders more at risk for the dangers posed by rural food deserts, or malnutrition.

Nutritional Concerns

Studies show that food insecurity leads to many health effects for elderly adults including lower BMI, limited activity and malnutrition. The elderly are more sensitive to their diets and can’t handle the amount of sugar and sodium found in processed foods.  CITE THIS They also need more nutrients because over time, digestive tracts become less efficient in nutrient absorption. CITE THIS (9)? Also, elderly tend to have existing diseases and/or take medications that interfere with nutrient absorption. CITE THIS Therefore, any nutrients present in the cheaper, highly processed food are less likely to be absorbed. If an elderly person doesn’t have consistant access to enough fruits and vegetables and the proper variety of nutrients, as is the case in rural food deserts, it makes them more at risk for health problems and future ailments.

EARLIER RENDITION:

There are many barriers to healthful, affordable food for elderly living in rural food deserts. First of all, most elderly live on a fixed income. A second issue faced by seniors is that they struggle with limited mobility. This can mean anything from having difficulty cooking and moving about their home, to not having a car or anyone nearby who could drive them to a store. Older persons and those with limited incomes are more likely to be dependent on family, friends, neighbors and others for transportation to purchase food. Older women are more likely than men to stop driving at younger ages or to have never driven, and minority women are even less likely to drive. Additionally, the death rate from motor vehicle accidents among those ages 75 and older is second only to (and virtually identical with) the highest risk group of those ages 15–25.

A third concern is that elderly have higher nutrient needs and are less able to tolerate the high sodium and sugar content typically found in processed foods. As people age, the degree of nutrient absorption in their digestive tract declines. Also, elderly tend to have existing diseases and/or take medications that interfere with nutrient absorption. There is evidence that elderly people living in rural areas suffer from inadequate nutrition intake due to low diet variety. If an elderly individual does not have a reliable source and access to an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables, as is the case in rural food deserts, their health is put in jeopardy and sets them up for future ailments.

Lastly, some seniors have time constraints that make it difficult to perform daily activities such as food shopping, especially when they are living with a sick spouse requiring a lot of their time and care. And for those who have recently lost a spouse and are suffering from depression, the desire to go to the store or cook for themselves can be greatly diminished, especially in the case of widows.