Household Food Insecurity and Perceptions of Health Status among Single Mothers in Rural Alabama Living With HIV/AIDS on Antiretroviral Therapy.

Background:     Household Food insecurity continues to affect millions of American families and it is also recognized as a public health issue for both developed and developing countries. For the past twenty years, food insecurity has become a recognized problem among people living with HIV/AIDS in North America and Africa. Studies have shown that food insecurity is highly prevalent among HIV-positive individuals in North America, and can compromise adherence to therapy and mortality. However, no study has examined the prevalence of food insecurity among HIV-infected individuals living in poor rural areas of Alabama. Thus, as an extension of my previous research, the purpose of this current study is to examine the impact of household food insecurity on self-reported health status in sample of single mothers living with HIV.

Methods: Single mothers were interviewed two times during a one-year-period (January-December, 2020). The interviews were to help determine how food insecure single mothers provide the daily necessities of life for themselves and their children and make ends meet.  The interviews took place in respondents’ homes, providing opportunities to observe gardens, food storage facilities, and the general living conditions.  The interviews consisted of a quantitative measure of self-reported health status, depression (using the Center of Epidemiological Studies on Depression Scale or CES-D), and food insecurity. All study procedures were reviewed and approved by the Tuskegee University Office of Research Compliance prior to the collection of any data. Data were analyzed using correlation and multiple regression analyses.

Results: Using the USDA’s Food Security Scale, 36% (108) of the single mothers were classified as food insecure and 38% (114) reported poor to fair health status. Majority, 66% (198) were African-Americans and 33% (99) did not complete high school. Regarding household income, 50.2% (156) earned less than $10,000. More than a third, 36.5% (110) were unemployed and 47% (141) were between the ages of 18 and 44. The bivariate correlations and regression analysis indicated that household food insecurity, education, employment status and depressive symptoms were significantly related to health status.

Conclusions: An important finding in this study is that food insecurity had influence on health status. Household food insecurity is a serious public health problem because it is so tightly linked to adverse health outcomes. The negative implications for health are greatest for mothers living in severely food-insecure households. Household food insecurity puts mothers at greater risk of developing serious chronic conditions.