Dysphagia and Food Insecurity in Older Adults: A Scoping Review

Authors: Mai Siwinski, Karolina Lata, Wajihat Nafiu

Field of Study: Speech and Language Pathology

Faculty Mentors: Sundeep Venkatesan

Easel: 62

Timeslot: Morning

Abstract: Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is prevalent among older adults and can lead to malnutrition, dehydration, and reduced quality of life in patients. Food insecurity is defined as limited access to appropriate food, which is important for social determinants of health that may affect older adults in their communities or in nursing homes. This scoping review is to examine the relationship between dysphagia and food insecurity in older adults. A comprehensive search was conducted using the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Scopus. The core search concepts were five dysphagia terms and six food insecurity terms. This review is currently in the process of completing data analysis and when finished will be able to inform speech-language pathologists working with patients diagnosed with dysphagia and have food insecurity.