Dietary Inequality among the Elderly in the United States: Decomposing Inequality in the Healthy Eating Index

This study uses the concentration index methodology to investigate the inequality in nutritional intake among American elderly. The concentration index provides a summary measure of socioeconomic inequality of the variables in question. Its decomposition enables comparisons across individuals with different characteristics such as gender, age, households income levels, and government program participation. Data are drawn from the 1994-96 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals collected by the U.S Department of Agriculture. Analysis is carried out for the Health Eating Index and one of its components, namely intake of fruits. Results suggest that high education level, receiving the food stamps, doing more exercise, and being on diet have improved the HEI among the elderly. However, unequal distribution of income appears to contribute to the inequalities in HEI. With respect to fruit consumption, income inequality has contributed to the unequal distribution of fruit consumption. Better education, more frequent exercise, being a meal planner, and being on a diet reduce the inequality in fruit consumption. Gender does not affect the inequality in HEI or in fruit consumption.