title: Food security in older australians from different cultural backgrounds.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the experiences and barriers to food security of community-dwelling older people.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative questionnaire and 5 focus group discussions using purposive sampling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Shire of Melton, Victoria, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-seven people (13 male and 24 female), between 58 and 85 years of age, from Anglo-Celtic (15), Macedonian (6), Serbian (8), and Maltese (8) backgrounds.
  
  
  METHODS
  Food security perceptions and barriers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square. The focus group data (transcripts) were subjected to a systematic thematic analysis to identify major themes and subthemes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cost and financial considerations, health and physical capacity, transport, intrapersonal factors, and lack of availability of preferred food all emerged as potential barriers to participants accessing nutritious food of their choice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, the quantitative and qualitative data indicated that the changing circumstances that accompany growing older influenced this group's ability to independently shop for, prepare, and eat affordable and nutritious food. Nutrition educators, in conjunction with local government service providers, have the opportunity to play a key role in building upon existing safety nets and innovative initiatives to ensure older people have access to adequate and appropriate food of their choice.
authors.affiliation: Healthy Ageing Research Unit, Monash University, Primary Care Research, Notting Hill, Victoria, Australia. radermacher@med.monash.edu.au
authors.forename: Harriet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Radermacher
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bird
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires