Dataset Information

A Multi-Site Analysis of the Prevalence of Food Insecurity in the United States, before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic profoundly affected food systems including food security. Understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted food security is important to provide support and identify long-term impacts and needs.

Objective

The National Food Access and COVID research Team (NFACT) was formed to assess food security over different US study sites throughout the pandemic, using common instruments and measurements. This study presents results from 18 study sites across 15 states and nationally over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A validated survey instrument was developed and implemented in whole or part through an online survey of adults across the sites throughout the first year of the pandemic, representing 22 separate surveys. Sampling methods for each study site were convenience, representative, or high-risk targeted. Food security was measured using the USDA 6-item module. Food security prevalence was analyzed using ANOVA by sampling method to assess statistically significant differences.

Results

Respondents (n = 27,168) indicate higher prevalence of food insecurity (low or very low food security) since the COVID-19 pandemic, compared with before the pandemic. In nearly all study sites, there is a higher prevalence of food insecurity among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), households with children, and those with job disruptions. The findings demonstrate lingering food insecurity, with high prevalence over time in sites with repeat cross-sectional surveys. There are no statistically significant differences between convenience and representative surveys, but a statistically higher prevalence of food insecurity among high-risk compared with convenience surveys.

Conclusions

This comprehensive study demonstrates a higher prevalence of food insecurity in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. These impacts were prevalent for certain demographic groups, and most pronounced for surveys targeting high-risk populations. Results especially document the continued high levels of food insecurity, as well as the variability in estimates due to the survey implementation method.

SUBMITTER: Niles MT

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8677520 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

A Multi-Site Analysis of the Prevalence of Food Insecurity in the United States, before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Niles Meredith T MT Beavers Alyssa W AW Clay Lauren A LA Dougan Marcelle M MM Pignotti Giselle A GA Rogus Stephanie S Savoie-Roskos Mateja R MR Schattman Rachel E RE Zack Rachel M RM Acciai Francesco F Allegro Deanne D Belarmino Emily H EH Bertmann Farryl F Biehl Erin E Birk Nick N Bishop-Royse Jessica J Bozlak Christine C Bradley Brianna B Brenton Barrett P BP Buszkiewicz James J Cavaliere Brittney N BN Cho Young Y Clark Eric M EM Coakley Kathryn K Coffin-Schmitt Jeanne J Collier Sarah M SM Coombs Casey C Dressel Anne A Drewnowski Adam A Evans Tom T Feingold Beth J BJ Fiechtner Lauren L Fiorella Kathryn J KJ Funderburk Katie K Gadhoke Preety P Gonzales-Pacheco Diana D Safi Amelia Greiner AG Gu Sen S Hanson Karla L KL Harley Amy A Harper Kaitlyn K Hosler Akiko S AS Ismach Alan A Josephson Anna A Laestadius Linnea L LeBlanc Heidi H Lewis Laura R LR Litton Michelle M MM Martin Katie S KS Martin Shadai S Martinelli Sarah S Mazzeo John J Merrill Scott C SC Neff Roni R Nguyen Esther E Ohri-Vachaspati Punam P Orbe Abigail A Otten Jennifer J JJ Parmer Sondra S Pemberton Salome S Qusair Zain Al Abdeen ZAA Rivkina Victoria V Robinson Joelle J Rose Chelsea M CM Sadeghzadeh Saloumeh S Sivaramakrishnan Brinda B Arroyo Mariana Torres MT Voorhees McKenna M Yerxa Kathryn K

Current developments in nutrition 20211101 12

<h4>Background</h4>The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic profoundly affected food systems including food security. Understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted food security is important to provide support and identify long-term impacts and needs.<h4>Objective</h4>The National Food Access and COVID research Team (NFACT) was formed to assess food security over different US study sites throughout the pandemic, using common instruments and measurements. This study presents results fr ...[more]

PMID: 34934898

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Project description:BackgroundDisruptions from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic potentially exacerbated food insecurity among adults and youth.ObjectivesThe objective was to examine changes in the prevalence and severity of food insecurity among adults and youth from before (2019) to during (2020) the pandemic in multiple countries.MethodsRepeated cross-sectional data were collected among adults aged 18-100 y (n = 63,278) in 5 countries in November to December in 2018-2020 and among youth aged 10-17 y (n = 23,107) in 6 countries in November to December in 2019 and 2020. Food insecurity in the past year was captured using the Household Food Security Survey Module and the Child Food Insecurity Experiences Scale. Changes in the prevalence and severity of food insecurity were examined using logistic and generalized logit regression models, respectively. Models included age, gender, racial-ethnic identity, and other sociodemographic characteristics associated with food insecurity to adjust for possible sample differences across waves. Models were weighted to reflect each country's population.ResultsAdults [adjusted OR (AOR): 1.15; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.31] and youth (AOR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.19, 1.71) in Mexico were more likely to live in food-insecure households in 2020 compared to 2019. Adults in Australia (AOR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.92) and Canada (AOR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.77, 0.99) were less likely to live in food-insecure households in 2020. Trends in severity aligned with changes in prevalence, with some exceptions. Youth in Australia (AOR: 2.24; 95% CI: 1.65, 3.02) and the United States (AOR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.86) were more likely to have many compared with no experiences of food insecurity in 2020 compared to 2019. There was no evidence of change among adults and youth in the remaining countries.ConclusionsExcept for Mexico, few changes in food insecurity among adults and youth were observed from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic. Action is needed to support households at risk of food insecurity. J Nutr 20XX;xx:xx-xx.

Project description:ImportanceMore than 50 million US residents have lost work during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and food insecurity has increased.ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between receipt of unemployment insurance, including a $600/wk federal supplement between April and July, and food insecurity among people who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design, setting, and participantsThis cohort study used difference-in-differences analysis of longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample of US adults residing in low- and middle-income households (ie, <$75 000 annual income) who lost work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were from 15 waves of the Understanding Coronavirus in America study (conducted April 1 to November 11, 2020).ExposureReceipt of unemployment insurance benefits.Main outcomes and measuresFood insecurity and eating less due to financial constraints, assessed every 2 weeks by self-report.ResultsOf 2319 adults living in households earning less than $75 000 annually and employed in February 2020, 1119 (48.3%) experienced unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic and made up our main sample (588 [53.6%] White individuals; mean [SD] age 45 [15] years; 732 [65.4%] women). Of those who lost employment, 415 (37.1%) reported food insecurity and 437 (39.1%) reported eating less due to financial constraints in 1 or more waves of the study. Among people who lost work, receipt of unemployment insurance was associated with a 4.3 (95% CI, 1.8-6.9) percentage point decrease in food insecurity (a 35.0% relative reduction) and a 5.7 (95% CI, 3.0-8.4) percentage point decrease in eating less due to financial constraints (a 47.8% relative reduction). Decreases in food insecurity were larger with the $600/wk supplement and for individuals who were receiving larger amounts of unemployment insurance.Conclusions and relevanceIn this US national cohort study, receiving unemployment insurance was associated with large reductions in food insecurity among people who lost employment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The $600/wk federal supplement and larger amounts of unemployment insurance were associated with larger reductions in food insecurity.

Project description:BackgroundFood insecurity, lack of consistent access to the food needed for an active, healthy life, harms population health. Although substantial biomedical evidence examines the connections between food insecurity and health, fewer studies examine why food insecurity occurs.MethodsWe propose a conceptual understanding of food insecurity risk based on institutions that distribute income-the factor payment system (income distribution stemming from paid labor and asset ownership), transfers within households, and the government tax-and-transfer system. A key feature of our understanding is 'roles' individuals inhabit in relation to the factor payment system: child, older adult, disabled working-age adult, student, unemployed individual, caregiver, or paid laborer. A second feature is that the roles of others in an individual's household also affect an individual's food insecurity risk. We tested hypotheses implied by this understanding, particularly hypotheses relating to role, household composition, and income support programs, using nationally-representative, longitudinal U.S. Current Population Survey data (2016-2019).ResultsThere were 16,884 participants (year 1 food insecurity prevalence: 10.0%). Inhabiting roles of child (Relative Risk [RR] 1.79, 95% Confidence Interval [95%CI] 1.67 to 1.93), disabled working age-adult (RR 3.74, 95%CI 3.25 to 4.31), or unemployed individual (RR 3.29, 95%CI 2.51 to 4.33) were associated with a greater risk of food insecurity than being a paid laborer. Most food insecure households, 74.8%, had members inhabiting roles of child or disabled working age-adult, and/or contained individuals who experienced job loss. Similar associations held when examining those transitioning from food insecurity to food security in year 2.ConclusionsThe proposed understanding accords with the pattern of food insecurity risk observed in the U.S. An implication is that transfer income programs for individuals inhabiting roles, such as childhood and disability, that limit factor payment system participation may reduce food insecurity risk for both those individuals and those in their household.

Dataset Information

A Multi-Site Analysis of the Prevalence of Food Insecurity in the United States, before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

A Multi-Site Analysis of the Prevalence of Food Insecurity in the United States, before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

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