Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health
Population Health Research Brief Series
Nonfinancial Factors Shape Food Insecurity Among U.S. Older Adults
Madonna Harrington Meyer and Colleen M. Heflin
September 2025
Abstract
Nonfinancial factors such as poor physical and mental health, lack of access to healthy food, and transportation challenges make it more difficult for older adults to obtain, prepare, and consume healthy food. Based on the book, Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adults Food Insecurity, this brief summarizes how nonfinancial factors function as both causes and consequences of food insecurity in old age.