Development and validation of a 1-item very low food security screen.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has made screening for health-related social needs (HRSNs) mandatory since 2024. Patients screening positive for HRSN food insecurity (FI) are connected with Supplemental Nutrition Services using 1115 Demonstration waivers. With a shift in funding, Massachusetts adopted a more stringent FI-level screening protocol (very low food security [VLFS]). To date, there is no screening tool that identifies VLFS alone; thus, we developed a sensitive, specific, and valid screen to determine risk for VLFS.

Methods

Sensitivity, specificity, and positive- and negative-predictive values were used to test combinations of questions compared with the USDA Household Food Security Survey Module using the 2022 Current Population Survey.

SUBMITTER: Poblacion A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12849366 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature