|
KMID : 1124020200360030163
|
|
Korean Social Security Studies
2020 Volume.36 No. 3 p.163 ~ p.189
|
|
|
The Impact of Food Insecurity on Depression among the Poor Elderly: Moderating Effect of Free Meal Service and Meals on Wheels Service
|
|
Cho Ja-Young
Choi Jae-Sung
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
|
The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of food insecurity, which has recently been known an important predictor of depression, and to examine the moderating effect of free meal service and meals on wheels service in relation to food insecurity and depression. Using the longitudinal data from Korea Welfare Panel Study (KWPS, 2011-2015) of the Korean Welfare Panel, we analyzed 2,217 poor elderly people with high risk to food security. The major findings were as follows: first, food insecurity without hunger among the poor elderly has been decreasing overall, but food insecurity with hunger has increased. Second, a statistically significant effect of food insecurity on depression was found even after controling of major demographic factors. In other words, it was confirmed that the food insecurity is the main factor for predicting the depression among the poor elderly. Third, in the relationship between food insecurity and depression, free meal service appeared to have a moderating effect. The effect of free meal service was found to be relatively bigger for the group with a lower level of food security, compared to the group with a high level of food security. The free meal service for the elderly is an important variable in their life in terms of that it maintains not only nutritional status and health but also positively affects on depression. This research indicates that more policy attention is required for food support systems for the elderly. Furthermore, it is confirmed that the food support systems determines depression of the elderly.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
poor elderly, food insecurity, food security, depression, free meal service, meals on wheels service
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
|
|