Health Costs Increased for Older Adults with Chronic Conditions, Food Insecurity

Among older adults with hypertension, stroke, arthritis, or diabetes, an inability to access sufficient and nutritious food was significantly associated with higher health care costs compared with other older adults, according to a study in the August 30, 2018, issue of Preventing Chronic Disease.

Researchers estimated the incremental health care costs of food insecurity and 9 chronic conditions among adults age 50 and older using data from the National Health Interview Survey and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

“Our difference-in-differences estimates confirm that food insecurity interacts with chronic health conditions, generating higher health care costs among older adults,” researchers wrote. “Our results suggest that food insecurity exacerbates the deleterious effects of chronic health conditions irrespective of the type of condition. Lack of adequate and reliable nutrition may be associated with people becoming more vulnerable to the advancement of illness, both biologically and at the level at which patients interact with the health care system.”

Chronic conditions included in the study were hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, emphysema, asthma, cancer, chronic bronchitis, arthritis, and diabetes. The most common conditions were the same for older adults despite their access, or lack thereof,  to nutritious food: hypertension, arthritis, and diabetes.

Some 14% of older adults in the study, or 2150 participants, reported being food insecure, according to researchers. Adjusted annual incremental health care costs resulting from food insecurity were higher in the presence of hypertension, stroke, arthritis, and diabetes.

“Policies and programs that address food insecurity in both the management and prevention of chronic health conditions have significant potential to reduce health care use and costs,” researchers wrote, “and improve the health and quality of life for older adults.”

—Jolynn Tumolo

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