Food insecurity and disasters: predicting disparities in total and first-time food pantry visits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT: In the U.S. state of Arizona, nearly one-third of households experienced food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase from one-fourth of households before the pandemic. Previous research on food insecurity in the wake of natural and human-instigated disasters demonstrates that groups vulnerable to food insecurity before a disaster are more susceptible to food insecurity during and after that disaster; however, less is known about whether this relationship also holds true during health-related disasters, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We explore how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced urban food insecurity patterns by analyzing the socio-demographic characteristics of food pantry clients in Maricopa County, Arizona. Using data from Phoenix Rescue Mission (PRM), a local non-profit

SUBMITTER: Drake AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9789372 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature