1057-P: Predictors of Food Insecurity among Ambulatory Patients with Diabetes

Background: Limited access to adequate, affordable, and nutritious foods can drive adverse outcomes in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Understanding factors that impact food insecurity is vital in developing strategies to improve holistic health outcomes among patients with DM. Method: Seventy-one ambulatory patients with type 2 DM were recruited using an investigator-administered questionnaire and chart review. Variables on demographics, oral health, DM outcomes, and accessibility to healthy food were collected. Their oral health was inspected. Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Results: Among study participants, 60.6% were female, 63.4% were non-white, mean age: 64.10±10.3 years, mean duration of diabetes: 15.80 ±9.1 years, and mean HbA1c: 7.80 ±1.5%. Vascular complications were present among 66.2% of participants. The logistic regression model was statistically significant (p < 0.0001) and explained 44.5% of food insecurity variance. Significant predictors of food insecurity include having less than high school education (OR 12.6, p = 0.04), living below the federal poverty threshold (OR 4.3, p = 0.04), and younger age (OR 0.91, p = 0.01). Race/ethnicity, gender, oral health indicators, and DM complications did not significantly predict food insecurity. Conclusions: In our study sample, younger patients with less than high school education and living below the federal poverty threshold were at higher risk of food insecurity. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions among this high-risk group to reduce food insecurity and improve DM outcomes.