AUTHOR=Lee Jeongyoon , Pak Tae-Young 

TITLE=Longitudinal Associations Between Food Insecurity and Suicidal Ideation Among Adults Aged ≥65 in the Korean Welfare Panel Study

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 68 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2023.1605618

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2023.1605618

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=Objectives: This study aimed to explore longitudinal associations between food insecurity and suicidal ideation, and the moderating roles of intervention programs.

Methods: Data were derived from the 2012-2019 waves of the Korean Welfare Panel Study. Participants aged≥65 at baseline (n=4425) and their annual follow-up measurements for a mean of 6.58 years were included. Conditional fixed effects logistic regressions were used to test: (1) associations between food insecurity and the onset of suicidal ideation; (2) whether associations were attenuated by food assistance and income support programs.

Results: Food insecurity was associated with higher odds of suicidal ideation in the full sample (OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.37-2.29), among women (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.24-2.26) and men (OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.25-3.40). The association between food insecurity and suicidal ideation was attenuated by participation in home-delivered meal services (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.21-0.88).

Conclusion: Food insecure older adults were more likely to consider committing suicide than their food secure counterparts. Food assistance through home-delivered meal services, but not other intervention programs, could weaken this link.