| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of the study was to investigate the socio-economic factors affecting food
security in households of elderly persons in Imenti Central Sub County, Kenya. The
objectives were to assess demographic characteristics of households with elderly persons,
health status of elderly persons, influence of aging and farming practices of elderly persons
in relation to households‘ food security. The study was based on the disengagement theory of
aging, the activity theory of aging and the theory of food economy and entitlements. The
study adopted a descriptive survey design. The target population of the study comprised of
80 households in each of the four divisions within Imenti Central Sub County. The sample
size comprised of 320 households with elderly persons purposively sampled, key informants
to address matters facing the aged and Focus Group Discussion (FGDs) with groups of
elderly persons. Questionnaire tools were used to collect the data from elderly persons, while
interview guides collected data from key informants and the FGDs. A total of 304 elderly
persons‘ questionnaires were returned and a questionnaire return rate of 95% was achieved.
The major findings of the study revealed that majority of the elderly persons were living in
pathetic conditions since they have been left alone in shanty structures in the rural as their
children have moved to the urban in search of employment. Their health status contributes to
low food security due to the fact that they either have health conditions that hinder them from
eating the available food for instance when on diet or they do not like eating the kind of food
that is available in the households. Aging interfere more with sustaining the level of food
security in households with elderly persons because as age crops in they get less active and
they cultivate only small portions of their land either leaving the rest uncultivated or leasing
it out. Elderly persons maintain traditional farming practices and fail to embrace the evolving
agricultural technology, thus their lands gets less productive causing food insecurity.
Moreover, the study revealed that most households with elderly persons were faced by food
insecurity with severe hunger as only 19.4 percent of the households were food secure. In the
light of the research findings, the researcher recommended that; although social norms and
traditional mind-sets are difficult to change over short time, the collaboration efforts
involving the government, the community and the families should be encouraged on caregiving
in regard to the challenges that come with aging. Thus the researcher suggested for
further research on the impact of Cash Transfer Programme for elderly persons on the levels
of food security in their households. | en_US |
