Award Date

May 2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Environmental and Occupational Health

First Committee Member

Courtney Coughenour

Second Committee Member

Jason Flatt

Third Committee Member

Sheila G. Janofsky

Fourth Committee Member

Ian McDonough

Fifth Committee Member

Samantha John

Number of Pages

105

Abstract

Due to the increase in the aging population, it is a public health priority to ensure communities are age-friendly to promote aging in place. However, there is a gap in the literature examining the relationship between food insecurity and transportation insecurity for older adults, who face unique challenges to both. In addition, access to food and transportation is directly influenced by structural/systemic racism, and people of color are overburdened by both insecurities. Because racial and ethnic disparities impact health outcomes, understanding these disparities in transportation and food insecurity is a necessary first step in beginning to address these issues. The study aimed to better understand the association between transportation insecurity and food insecurity for older adults aged 60 and older in Clark County, Nevada while considering racial and ethnic differences. Through a quantitative cross-sectional study, a secondary data analysis was conducted utilizing data from Three Square Food Bank. Through this analysis, it was determined that 18.2% of older adult participants were food insecure and 25.3% were transportation insecure. Logistic regression revealed a significant association between food insecurity and transportation insecurity (ꭔ2=239.418, df=4, n=1,001, p < 0.001); a dose-response relationship shows that the odds of being food insecure increases as the severity of transportation insecurity increases. This association remains after controlling for correlates of food insecurity and transportation insecurity. While racial and ethnic differences in the odds of being food insecure were found in bivariate analysis, statistical significance was lost after controlling for correlates of food insecurity and transportation insecurity (ꭔ2 = 270.987, df = 22, n = 816, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the odds of being transportation insecure were higher for non-white participants in bivariate analysis (ꭔ2=9.324, df = 3, n = 1,001, p = 0.025), but similarly, statistical significance was lost after controlling for correlates of food insecurity and transportation insecurity (ꭔ2 = 143.846, df = 18, n = 816, p = < 0.001). Results from this study suggest that food and transportation insecurity are a public health concern for older adults; an association between food and transportation insecurity indicates a need to address both simultaneously. Interventions and policies aimed at the root causes of food and transportation insecurity are needed to better serve older adults in Clark County, Nevada.

Keywords

Food Insecurity; Older Adults; Transportation Insecurity

Disciplines

Geriatrics | Public Health | Transportation

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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Available for download on Saturday, May 15, 2027


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