Project Description
Evidence from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Project
2019 - 2022
This project identified mid-life predictors of living in a food insecure household at age 60 and older, explored whether living in a food insecure household in mid-life is associated with reduced odds of well-being or healthy aging among persons age 60 and older, and, examined changes in the odds of living in a food insecure household among adults as they transition onto Social Security retirement benefits.
Dr. Brucker and two consultants, Dr. Sophie Mitra and Dr. Katie Jajtner, drew on their experience using the Panel Study on Income Dynamics (PSID) to examine wellbeing and healthy aging among older Americans as well as their experience in conducting food security related research with other nationally representative data sets to conduct innovative research which intersected the aging and food security domains. Using data from the PSID, a nationally representative study which has tracked over 18,000 individuals living in 5,000 families since 1968, the research team used multivariate methods to address the objectives noted above. The PSID is the only nationally representative panel survey that includes the full 18-item Household Food Security Module, a supplement designed to measure overall household food security as well as different facets of food security.
The PSID also gathers information on correlates of food insecurity (i.e. sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, household structure, income, employment, and public program participation), measures of wellbeing and healthy aging, and Social Security receipt.
Publications
Brucker, D., Jajtner, K., and Mitra, S. (2021). Does Social Security Promote Food Security? Evidence for Older Households. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy. doi: 10.1002/aepp.13218.
Featured in: Mitra, S., Brucker, D.L. & Jajtner, K. (2022). Social Security benefits play key role in preventing older Americans from lacking enough quality food. The Conversation, June 27, 2022.
Brucker, D.L., Jajtner, K., & Mitra, S. (2022). Understanding food-related hardships among older adults: Evidence from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Discussion paper 2022-05. ISSN: 1936-9379. University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research
