Food Insecurity and Malnutrition among Indian Older Adults: Findings from Longitudinal Ageing Study in India, 2017-18

The study aims to assess the prevalence of food insecurity and malnutrition and to investigate the association between food insecurity, sociodemographic characteristics, and malnutrition among Indian older adults. Data for 28,004 older adults (60 + years) was extracted from Wave-1 of the Longitudinal Aging Study in India, 2017-18. Bivariate analysis was used for prevalence estimates. Multinomial logistic regression provided relative risk ratios (RRR) to determine the association. About 45% of older adults were food insecure and nearly half were malnourished (underweight − 26.7%, overweight − 22.2%). Overweight was widespread in southern, western, and northern India, while underweight and food insecurity were widespread in central, eastern, and north-eastern India. Food insecure older adults were significantly more likely to be underweight (mild: RRR = 1.105, 95% CI = 1.038–1.176; severe: RRR = 1.327, 95% CI = 1.186–1.485). Rather than severe food insecurity, those with moderate food insecurity have the least likelihood of being overweight. Being the oldest, male, widowed, divorced/separated/deserted, having fewer years of schooling, living in a ST or SC household, and in rural areawere associated with higher risk of being underweight; while their other counterparts were of being overweight. No association was found between working status and underweight, meanwhile the non-working older adults were less likely to be overweight (RRR = 0.804, 95% CI = 0.744–0.868). Underweight is strongly linked to food insecurity. In terms of food insecurity and malnutrition, the most vulnerable categories identified include oldest old, widowed, divorced/separated/deserted, SC, ST, economically weaker, and persons without or with only a few years of formal education.