Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T17:28:46.392Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Can Canadian Seniors on Public Pensions Afford a Nutritious Diet?*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

Rebecca J. Green ,
Patricia L. Williams ,
C. Shanthi Johnson  and
Ilya Blum
Rebecca J. Green
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Human Nutrition, Mount Saint Vincent University
Patricia L. Williams*
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Human Nutrition, Mount Saint Vincent University Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre, Dalhousie University
C. Shanthi Johnson
Affiliation:
Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies, University of Regina Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit, University of Regina
Ilya Blum
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, Mount Saint Vincent University
*
Requests for offprints should be sent to:/Les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à: Patricia L. Williams, Ph.D., P.Dt., Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Food Security and Policy Change, Department of Applied Human Nutrition, Mount Saint Vincent University, 166 Bedford Highway, Halifax, NS B3M 2J6, ([email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study examined whether Canada's public pensions (Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan) provided adequate income for seniors living in Nova Scotia in 2005 to afford a basic nutritious diet. Monthly incomes were compared to essential monthly expenses for four household scenarios: (a) married couple, 80 years and 78 years, in urban Nova Scotia; (b) single male, 77 years in rural Nova Scotia; (c) a couple, 70 years and 65 years, in rural Nova Scotia; (d) widowed female, 85 years, in urban Nova Scotia. The monthly food costs for the four households were CAN$313.32, $193.83, $316.71, and $150.89, respectively. Results showed that both single-member households lacked the necessary funds for a nutritious diet, while living with a partner seemed to protect against inadequate financial resources. These findings illustrate the need to improve Canada's retirement systems to ensure all seniors have adequate financial resources to meet their basic needs—including nutritious food—prevent chronic disease, and ultimately improve quality of life.

Résumé

La présente étude a évalué si les pensions publiques du Canada (Sécurité de la vieillesse et Régime de pension du Canada) fournissaient aux aînés vivant en Nouvelle-Écosse (N.-É.) un revenu adéquat qui puisse leur permettre de bénéficier d'un régime alimentaire de base nutritif en 2005. Les revenus mensuels ont été comparés aux dépenses mensuelles essentielles de quatre types de ménages: 1) couple marié, 80ans et 78ans, en milieu urbain en Nouvelle-Écosse; 2) homme célibataire, 77ans, en milieu rural en Nouvelle-Écosse; 3) couple, 70ans et 65ans, en milieu rural en Nouvelle-Écosse; 4) veuve, 85ans, en milieu urbain en Nouvelle-Écosse. Le coût mensuel des quatre ménages étaient respectivement de 313,32$, 193,83$, 316,71$ et 150,89$. Les résultats ont indiqué que le ménage de chacun des célibataires manquait des fonds nécessaires pour respecter un régime alimentaire nutritif, tandis que la vie avec un partenaire semblait protéger contre un manque de ressources financières adéquates. Ces résultats illustrent le besoin d'améliorer les régimes de retraite du Canada afin de s'assurer que tous les aînés aient des ressources financières qui leur permettent de subvenir à leurs besoins essentiels, notamment en matière d'obtention d'aliments nutritifs, de prévention des maladies chroniques, et d'amélioration finale de leur qualité de vie.

Keywords

vieillissementrégime alimentairesoutien financierpensionaînéspauvretéprix des alimentsagingdietfinancial supportpensionseniorspovertyfood costing
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 27 , Issue 1 , Spring/Printemps 2008 , pp. 69 - 79
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

This food-costing study was supported by a grant from Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion and Protection. The authors would like to thank the partners of the Nova Scotia Participatory Food Security Projects, to whom the grant was provided: the Nova Scotia Nutrition Council, Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre, and the collaborating Community Action Program for Children/Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program–funded Family Resource Centres/Projects of Nova Scotia. The authors would especially like to thank the Family Resource Centres/Projects and their participants and staff who were food costers and support people for this study. We are particularly grateful to Christine Johnson, Project Coordinator, and research assistants Amy MacDonald, Nadia Stokvis, Rita MacAulay, and Denise Russell, as well as the members of the provincial steering committee and food-costing working group. Special thanks to Pam Fancey for her careful review and helpful comments around constructing this article. The views expressed herein are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official policy of the Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion and Protection.

References

Aliant (2006). Local telephone service. Retrieved 30 Sept. 2006 from http://productsandservice.aliant.net/PS/ns/english/productsandservices/ps_3.jsp?section=31&subsection=1&bodycont=productsandservices%2f402%2fproductdetail.jsp&curbody=31.Google Scholar
Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre, Family Resource Centres/Projects, & Nova Scotia Nutrition Council (2004). Participatory food security projects phase I and II report—Building food security in Nova Scotia: Using a participatory process to collect evidence and enhance the capacity of community groups to influence policy. Halifax, NS: Author.Google Scholar
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (2005). Rental market report: Nova Scotia highlights. Halifax, NS: Author.Google Scholar
Canada Revenue Agency (2005). Child and family benefits online calculator. Retrieved 21 Feb. 2006 from http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/benefits/calculator/menu-e.html.Google Scholar
Canadian Council on Social Development (2005). Poverty lines. Retrieved 14 Nov. 2005 from http://www.ccsd.ca/factsheets/fs_lic004_bt.htm.Google Scholar
Canadian Home Economics Association (1999). Position of the Canadian home economics association on food security. Journal of the Canadian Home Economics Association, 49(1), 5–9.Google Scholar
Davis, B., & Tarasuk, V. (1994). Hunger in Canada. Agriculture and Human Values, 11(4), 50–57.Google Scholar
Department of Community Services (2005). Housing and repairs. Retrieved 10 Nov. 2005 from http://www.gov.ns.ca/coms/housing/rental_housing_seniors.html.Google Scholar
Government of Nova Scotia (2003). Cost of living in Nova Scotia. Retrieved 08 Apr. 2005 from http://www.gov.ns.ca/cmns/overview/col.asp.Google Scholar
GPI Atlantic (2002). The cost of chronic disease in Nova Scotia. Retrieved 28 Apr. 2005 from http://www.gpiatlantic.org/pdf/health/chronic.pdf.Google Scholar
Hatfield, M. (2002). Constructing the revised Market Basket Measure (No. T-01–1E). Hull, QC: Applied Research Branch, Strategic Policy, Human Resources Development Canada.Google Scholar
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (2004a). Allowance program. Retrieved 30 Aug. 2005 from http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/asp/gateway.asp?hr=/en/isp/pub/oas/allowance.shtml&hs=ozs.Google Scholar
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (2004b). Allowance for the survivor program. Retrieved 30 Aug. 2005 from http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/asp/gateway.asp?hr=/en/isp/pub/oas/allowsurv.shtml&hs=ozs.Google Scholar
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (2004c). Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). Retrieved 30 Aug. 2005 from http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/asp/gateway.asp?hr=/en/isp/pub/oas/gismain.shtml&hs=ozs.Google Scholar
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (2005a). General information about the Canada Pension Plan. Retrieved 30 Aug. 2005 from http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/asp/top.Google Scholar
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (2005b). Old Age Security (OAS) pensions: Frequently asked questions. Retrieved 30 Aug. 2005 from http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/asp/gateway.asp?hr=/en/isp/pub/oas/oas.shtml&hs=ozs.Google Scholar
Human Resources Development Canada (2001a). Canada's retirement income system. Hull, QC: Author.Google Scholar
Human Resources Development Canada (2001b). Income security programs overview. Hull, QC: Author.Google Scholar
Human Resources Development Canada (2002). 1927–2002 public pensions: 75 years of helping Canadians. Hull, QC: Author.Google Scholar
Human Resources Development Canada (2003). HRDC's new measure of low income: Market basket measure. Hull, QC: Author.Google Scholar
KPMG Canada (2006). Canadian personal income tax rates. Retrieved 25 Feb. 2006 from http://www.kpmg.ca/en/services/tax/taxratesPersonal.html.Google Scholar
Lawn, J. (1998). National nutritious food basket, 1998. Ottawa: Health Canada.Google Scholar
McIntyre, L., & Tarasuk, V. (2002). Food security as a determinant of health. Paper presented at the Social Determinants of Health Across the Life-Span Conference, Toronto, Ontario.Google Scholar
National Advisory Council on Aging (2003). Interim report card: Seniors in Canada 2003. Ottawa: Minister of Government Works and Government Services Canada.Google Scholar
National Advisory Council on Aging (2005). Seniors on the margins: Aging in poverty in Canada. Ottawa: Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada.Google Scholar
Nova Scotia Department of Health (2006). Nova Scotia pharmacare. Retrieved 3 Aug. 2006 from http://www.gov.ns.ca/heal/pharmacare/seniors_pharmacare_faq.htm.Google Scholar
Nova Scotia Participatory Food Security Projects (2007). Working together to build food security in Nova Scotia: Participatory food costing 2004/05. Halifax, NS: Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre.Google Scholar
Nova Scotia Seniors' Secretariat (2005a). Seniors' statistical profile. Halifax, NS: Province of Nova Scotia.Google Scholar
Nova Scotia Seniors' Secretariat (2005b). Strategy for positive aging in Nova Scotia. Halifax, NS: Communications Nova Scotia.Google Scholar
Ontario Ministry of Health, Public Health Branch (1998). Monitoring the cost of a nutritious food basket protocol. Toronto: Ministry of Health.Google Scholar
Public Health Agency of Canada (2004). What determines health?. Retrieved 25 Oct. 2005 from http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/phdd/determinants/determinants.html.Google Scholar
Quandt, S.A., & Rao, P. (1999). Hunger and food security among older adults in a rural community. Human Organization, 58(1), 28.Google Scholar
Quandt, S.A., Arcury, T.A., McDonald, J., Bell, R.A., & Vitolins, M.Z. (2001). Meaning and management of food security among rural elders. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 20(3), 356–376.Google Scholar
Rainville, B., & Brink, S. (2001). Food insecurity in Canada, 1998–1999. Ottawa: Human Resources Development Canada.Google Scholar
Social Development Canada (2005). Income security programs information card (rate card). Retrieved 1 Feb. 2006 from http://www.sdc.gc.ca/asp/gateway.asp?hr=/en/isp/statistics/julsep05.shtml&hs=ozs.Google Scholar
Statistics Canada (2006). Consumer Price Index, transportation, by province. Retrieved 18 Jan. 2006 from http://www40.statcan.ca/101/cst01/econ160d.htm.Google Scholar
Tarasuk, V. (2001). Discussion paper on household and individual food insecurity. Ottawa: Health Canada.Google Scholar
Tarasuk, V. (2005). Household food insecurity in Canada. Topics in Clinical Nutrition, 20(4), 299–312.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Travers, K.D., Cogdon, A., McDonald, W., Wright, C., Anderson, B., & MacLean, D.R. (1997). Availability and cost of heart healthy dietary changes in Nova Scotia. Journal of the Canadian Dietetic Association, 58(4), 176–183.Google Scholar
Vozoris, N., Davis, B., & Tarasuk, V. (2002). The affordability of a nutritious diet for households on welfare in Toronto. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 93(1), 36–40.Google Scholar
Williams, P.L., Johnson, C.P., Kratzmann, M.L.V., Johnson, CSJ, Anderson, B.J., & Chenhall, C. (2006). Can households earning minimum wage in Nova Scotia afford a nutritious diet? Canadian Journal of Public Health, 97(6), 430–434.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wolfe, W.S., Olson, C.M., Kendall, A., & Frongillo, E.A. Jr (1998). Hunger and food insecurity in the elderly: It's nature and measurement. Journal of Aging and Health, 10(3), 327–350.Google Scholar
Wolfe, W.S., Olson, C.M., Kendall, A., & Frongillo, E.A. Jr (1996). Understanding food insecurity in the elderly: A conceptual framework. Journal of Nutrition Education, 28(2), 92–100.Google Scholar