Food Insecurity and Subjective Cognitive Complaints Among Adults Aged ≥ 65 years from Low- and Middle-income Countries

Overview

Journal Eur J Nutr

Specialty Nutritional Sciences

Date 2023 Aug 7

PMID 37550594

Authors

Lee Smith

Guillermo F Lopez Sanchez

Jae Il Shin

Karel Kostev

Benjamin R Underwood

Hans Oh

Pinar Soysal

Nicola Veronese

Felipe Schuch

Mark A Tully

Ai Koyanagi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: To date, no study has investigated the association between food insecurity and subjective cognitive complaints (SCC). Thus, the aims of the present study were to examine this association among older adults in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and to identify the potential mediators in this association, given the importance of SCC in dementia risk among older people, and the projected particularly large increase in dementia in this setting.

Methods: Cross-sectional, community-based, nationally representative data from the World Health Organization (WHO) Study on global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE) collected between 2007 and 2010 were analyzed. Two questions on subjective memory and learning complaints in the past 30 days were used to create a SCC scale ranging from 0 (No SCC) to 100 (worse SCC). Past 12 month food insecurity was assessed with two questions on frequency of eating less and hunger due to lack of food. Multivariable linear regression and mediation (Karlson-Holm-Breen method) analyses were conducted to assess associations.

Results: Data on 14,585 individuals aged ≥ 65 years [mean (SD) age 72.6 (11.5) years; 55.0% females] were analyzed. Severe food insecurity (vs. no food insecurity) was associated with 9.16 (95% CI = 6.95-11.37) points higher mean SCC score. Sleep/energy (mediated% 37.9%; P < 0.001), perceived stress (37.2%; P = 0.001), and depression (13.7%; P = 0.008) partially explained the association between severe food insecurity and SCC.

Conclusion: Food insecurity was associated with SCC among older adults in LMICs. Future studies should assess whether addressing food insecurity among older adults in LMICs can improve cognitive health.

Citing Articles

Exploring Food Insecurity and Perceived Stress on Daytime Sleepiness among Older Adults in New York City.

Brown C, Orazem J, Harrison E Foods. 2024; 13(17).

PMID: 39272596 PMC: 11394888. DOI: 10.3390/foods13172831.

Socioeconomic determinants of cognition among older adults in the Brazilian longitudinal study of aging (ELSI-Brazil): a life-course approach.

Ramos A, Bertola L, Mata F, Barbosa M, Boaventura V, Machado L Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2024; .

PMID: 39080010 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-024-02734-x.

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