Ingram School of Engineering, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA.
Nutrition and Foods Program, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Sep 10;21(9):1197. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21091197.
The proportion of older adults is increasing globally, yet many of them experience food insecurity. Technological innovations, such as increased access to internet- and mobile-based food delivery apps (FDAs), may help mitigate food insecurity. However, this topic has been understudied. This scoping review searched for publications and online technical reports from around the world using interdisciplinary databases like ScienceDirect and internet sources like government websites, respectively. Eligible references were published recently (2019-present) and focused on general technology use, including apps, among older adults (≥50 years) or FDAs for food insecurity or nutritional health generally or specifically among older adults. The search identified 19 studies from 10 countries and extracted relevant information for summary tables. A limited number of studies supported the idea that FDAs can help address food insecurity, but there are important equity considerations for older adults living in rural areas or with constrained physical abilities. Consistently, customized app features and functions increased the intention to use FDAs. In addition, FDAs may have health and environmental impacts, such as food waste and increased access or promotion of ultraprocessed foods. Additional research is needed to elucidate the potential of FDAs to address food insecurity generally and specifically among older adults.
全球老年人口比例不断增加，但他们中的许多人都面临着粮食不安全问题。技术创新，如增加互联网和移动食品配送应用程序（FDAs）的使用，可能有助于缓解粮食不安全问题。然而，这个话题的研究还不够充分。本范围综述在科学直接等跨学科数据库和政府网站等互联网资源中分别搜索了来自世界各地的出版物和在线技术报告。合格的参考文献是最近（2019 年至今）发表的，重点关注一般技术的使用，包括老年人（≥50 岁）使用的应用程序，以及一般或专门针对老年人的粮食不安全或营养健康的 FDAs。该搜索从 10 个国家确定了 19 项研究，并提取了相关信息，制成了汇总表。为数不多的研究支持了这样一种观点，即 FDAs 可以帮助解决粮食不安全问题，但对于生活在农村地区或身体能力有限的老年人来说，存在重要的公平性考虑因素。同样，定制应用程序的功能和特点增加了使用 FDAs 的意愿。此外，FDAs 可能会对健康和环境产生影响，例如食物浪费以及增加对超加工食品的获取或推广。需要进一步的研究来阐明 FDAs 解决粮食不安全问题的潜力，包括一般和专门针对老年人的粮食不安全问题。
