The Impact of a Food Recovery-Meal Delivery Program on Homebound Seniors' Food Security, Nutrition, and Well-Being

Authors

Jenifer M. Ross, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.Follow
Alice Sanchez, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
James B. Epps, Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
Andrea Arikawa, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.Follow
Lauri Wright, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.Follow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-18-2022

Abstract

Food insecurity is a growing problem among seniors. A novel program was established to help mitigate the problem of food insecurity among seniors who are homebound. Volunteers recover unused prepared food donated by area hospitals, repack it into healthy meals which are delivered to program participants. To evaluate the impact of our intervention, seniors' nutritional health and social well-being were measured at enrollment and after three to five months using the following: Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF), 24-hour recall, USDA 6-Item Food Security Survey, WHO-5 Well-Being Index, and the 3-Item Loneliness Scale. Statistical analysis indicated a significant improvement in nutritional health, well-being, and loneliness; participants also increased their consumption of protein and calories. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to investigate the self-perceived impact of the program. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed that meal recipients perceive that food recovery-meal delivery programs may improve their nutrition health, food security, and well-being.

Publication Title

Journal of nutrition in gerontology and geriatrics

First Page

1

Last Page

15

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1080/21551197.2022.2041145

PubMed ID

35179450

E-ISSN

2155-1200

Citation Information

Ross, J. M., Sanchez, A., Epps, J. B., Arikawa, A., & Wright, L. (2022). The Impact of a Food Recovery-Meal Delivery Program on Homebound Seniors' Food Security, Nutrition, and Well-Being. Journal of nutrition in gerontology and geriatrics, 1–15. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/21551197.2022.2041145