Longitudinal Associations Between Food Insecurity and Suicidal Ideation Among Adults Aged ≥65 in the Korean Welfare Panel Study.

This study aimed to explore longitudinal associations between food insecurity and suicidal ideation, and the moderating roles of intervention programs. Data were derived from the 2012-2019 waves of the Korean Welfare Panel Study. Participants aged 65 at baseline ( = 4,425) and their annual follow-up measurements for a mean of 6.58 years were included. Conditional fixed effects logistic regressions were used to test 1) associations between food insecurity and the onset of suicidal ideation; 2); whether associations were attenuated by food assistance and income support programs. Food insecurity was associated with higher odds of suicidal ideation in the full sample (OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.37-2.29), among women (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.24-2.26) and men (OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.25-3.40). The association between food insecurity and suicidal ideation was attenuated by participation in home-delivered meal services (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.21-0.88). Food insecure older adults were more likely to consider committing suicide than their food secure counterparts. Food assistance through home-delivered meal services, but not other intervention programs, could weaken this link.