Analysis of food security status among the elderly in South Africa

Food security remain an important measure of a households wellbeing or welfare. Poverty rates at household level has been deduced from food security status in many instances. Statistics South Africa uses food poverty line as one measure of poverty. The amount of food a household needs for survival is considered based on different measures, including the tradition calories approach. Food insecurity measure have evolved overtime and have become stronger and more encompassing taking into account all aspects of food security including, availability, access and dietary diversity. Poverty studies have identified women children and the old age people as the most vulnerable groups of people and at risk of poverty and food insecurity specifically. This study focuses of the Old aged people to analyse their food security status taking into account their sources of income. Special attention is given to those on old age grant and those excluded from the grant to assess the impact of the grant on food security status. Also a gender component is included since different age categories apply to the different gender categories. The paper uses data from the general Household survey collected by STATSSA in 2017. The paper also employs both univariate and multivariate analysis and a regression model to determine the statistical significance of age, gender and marital status on food security status.