Hunger Games: Food Access among Food Insecure Households during COVID-19 in the United States
Main Article Content
Abstract
Food insecurity has profound implications for health outcomes. A global pandemic like COVID-19, when challenges are amplified, calls for a deeper understanding of factors influencing food security. This study analyzed the changes in food security status of households during the COVID-19 pandemic and described demographic characteristics of households and food access experiences by changes in food security status. Data were collected through an online survey using quota sampling based on age, race, ethnicity, region, and income for the sample to reflect the adult U.S. population. Questions were asked about food acquisitions, food security, and demographics, including health risks related to COVID-19. Data collection took place between July 14 and August 19, 2021, from 1,004 participants. We hypothesized that those with previous experience with food insecurity and familiarity with food assistance programs had greater access to these programs during the pandemic. Our findings supported this hypothesis and further revealed that those with prior food insecurity were more likely to use alternative food acquisition methods like gardening and fishing/hunting. Those who experienced food insecurity for the first time during the pandemic were less prepared to secure food for their families through social and community programs. Racial and ethnic minorities in our study were disproportionately affected by food insecurity, both pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. Younger individuals and those with more children were also more likely to face food insecurity. Individuals with pre-pandemic food insecurity were more likely to have poorer health outcomes, limited access to healthcare, and less likely to be vaccinated against COVID-19, putting them at higher risk for adverse health outcomes. Findings underscore the importance of addressing food insecurity as a public health issue. Pre-existing food insecurity led to a significant increase in food insecurity during the pandemic. Disproportionately affected groups highlight broader societal issues of poverty, discrimination, and lack of access to resources. The development of targeted interventions is recommended to address the needs of vulnerable populations, including racial/ethnic minorities, low-income individuals, families with children, and those who are food insecure for the first time.
Article Details
How to Cite
PETERSON, Hikaru H. et al.
Hunger Games: Food Access among Food Insecure Households during COVID-19 in the United States.
Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 13, n. 2, feb. 2025.
ISSN 2375-1924.
Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/6281>. Date accessed: 17 mar. 2025.
doi: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v13i2.6281.
Section
Research Articles
The Medical Research Archives grants authors the right to publish and reproduce the unrevised contribution in whole or in part at any time and in any form for any scholarly non-commercial purpose with the condition that all publications of the contribution include a full citation to the journal as published by the Medical Research Archives.
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3. National Institutes of Health. Food accessibility, insecurity and health outcomes. July 3, 2024. https://www.nimhd.nih.gov/resources/understanding-health-disparities/food-accessibility-insecurity-and-health-outcomes.html
4. Seligman HK, Laraia BA, Kushel MB. Food insecurity is associated with chronic disease among low-income NHANES participants. J Nutr. 2023;140(2):304-310. doi:10.3945/jn.109.112573
5. Stuff JE, Casey PH, Connell CL, et al. Household food insecurity and obesity, chronic disease, and chronic disease risk factors. J Hunger Environ Nutr. 2007;1(2):43-62. doi:10.1300/J477v01n02_04
6. Cain KS, Meyer SC, Cummer E, et al. Association of food insecurity with mental health outcomes in parents and children. Acad Pediatr. 2022;22(7):1105-1114. doi:10.1016/j.acap.2022.04.010
7. Fang D, Thomsen MR, Nayga RM. The association between food insecurity and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Public Health. 2021;21:1-8. doi:10.1186/s12889-021-10631-0
8. Pourmotabbed A, Moradi S, Babaei A, et al. Food insecurity and mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Public Health Nutr. 2020;23(10):1778-1790. doi:10.1017/S136898001900435X
9. Burke MP, Martini LH, Çayır E, et al. Severity of household food insecurity is positively associated with mental disorders among children and adolescents in the United States. J Nutr. 2016;146(10):2019-2026. doi:10.3945/jn.116.232298
10. Sanjeevi N, Monsivais P. Association of food insecurity status with resolution of mental health conditions in children and adolescents. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2023;44(8):e536-e542. doi:10.1097/DBP.0000000000001212
11. Assari S. Latinos’ diminished returns of educational attainment on reducing food insecurity: the role of ethnic disparities in family structure and employment. Front Public Health. 2024;12:1407005. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1407005
12. Bhattacharya J, Currie J, Haider S. Poverty, food insecurity, and nutritional outcomes in children and adults. J Health Econ. 2004;23(4):839-862. doi:10.1016/j.jhealeco.2003.12.008
13. Ivers LC, Cullen KA. Food insecurity: special considerations for women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;94(6):1740S-1744S. doi:10.3945/ajcn.111.012617
14. Myers AM, Painter MA. Food insecurity in the United States of America: an examination of race/ethnicity and nativity. Food Secur. 2017;9:1419-1432. doi:10.1007/s12571-017-0733-8
15. Berning J, Bonanno A, Cleary R. Disparities in food insecurity among Black and White households: an analysis by age cohort, poverty, education, and home ownership. Appl Econ Perspect Policy. 2024;46(1):234-254. doi:10.1002/aepp.13332
16. Piaskoski A, Reilly K, Gilliland J. A conceptual model of rural household food insecurity: a qualitative systematic review and content analysis. Fam Community Health. 2020;43(4):296-312. doi:10.1097/FCH.0000000000000273
17. Berry EM. Food insecurity, social inequity, and sustainability. In: Hidden Hunger and the Transformation of Food Systems. 2020;121:95-104.
18. McIntyre L, Rondeau K. Food insecurity. In: Social Determinants of Health: Canadian Perspectives. 2009;188:204.
19. Berkowitz SA, Basu S, Gundersen C, et al. Peer reviewed: state-level and county-level estimates of health care costs associated with food insecurity. Prev Chronic Dis. 2019;16. doi:10.5888/pcd16.180549
20. Dean EB, French MT, Mortensen K. Food insecurity, health care utilization, and health care expenditures. Health Serv Res. 2020;55:883-893. doi:10.1111/1475-6773.13283
21. LeBlanc M, Kuhn B, Blaylock J. Poverty amidst plenty: food insecurity in the United States. Agric Econ. 2005;32:159-173. doi:10.1111/j.0169-5150.2004.00021.x
22. Heflin C, Darolia R, Kukla-Acevedo S. Exposure to food insecurity during adolescence and educational attainment. Soc Probl. 2022;69(2):453-469. doi:10.1093/socpro/spaa036
23. Palar K, Laraia B, Tsai AC, et al. Food insecurity is associated with HIV, sexually transmitted infections and drug use among men in the United States. AIDS. 2016;30(9):1457-1465.
24. Barrett CB, Lentz EC. Food insecurity. In: Oxford Research Encyclopedia of International Studies. Oxford University Press; 2010.
25. Gowda C, Hadley C, Aiello AE. The association between food insecurity and inflammation in the US adult population. Am J Public Health. 2012;102(8):1579-1586. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300551
26. Ariya M, Karimi J, Abolghasemi S, et al. Food insecurity arises the likelihood of hospitalization in patients with COVID-19. Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):20072. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-99610-4
27. Escobar M, Mendez AD, Encinas MR, et al. High food insecurity in Latinx families and associated COVID-19 infection in the Greater Bay Area, California. BMC Nutr. 2021;7:1-9. doi:10.1186/s40795-021-00419-1
28. Beech BM, Dobbins J, Woodard L, et al. Multisector partnerships and service colocation to increase adoption of influenza vaccines and address food insecurity. Popul Health Manag. 2022;25(3):430-432. doi:10.1089/pop.2021.0295
29. Hotez PJ, Nuzhath T, Colwell B. Combating vaccine hesitancy and other 21st century social determinants in the global fight against measles. Curr Opin Virol. 2020;41:1-7. doi:10.1016/j.coviro.2020.01.001
30. Gundersen C, Ziliak JP. Food insecurity and health outcomes. Health Aff. 2015;34(11):1830-1839. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0645
31. Kushel MB, Gupta R, Gee L, et al. Housing instability and food insecurity as barriers to health care among low-income Americans. J Gen Intern Med. 2006;21:71-77. doi:10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.00278.x
32. Hearn EB, Kehinde G, Sambamoorthi U. Food insecurity and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among adults in the United States (US). Vaccine. 2024;42(7):1723-1730. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.01.078
33. Testa A, Sharma BB. Food insecurity and COVID-19 vaccination status and vaccination hesitancy in the United States. Fam Community Health. 2023;46(2):136-142. doi:10.1097/FCH.0000000000000357
34. Yang CX, Baker LM, Fischer L, Essary CR, Orton G. Vaccinating with valor: a risk preventive model to explain factors in parents’ choice to vaccinate their children for COVID-19. Health Commun. 2024:1-11. doi:10.1080/10410236.2024.2338307
35. Kassa W, Smith MD, Wesselbaum D. Food insecurity erodes trust. Glob Food Sec. 2023;36:100742. doi:10.1016/j.gfs.2024.100742
36. United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. Total spending on USDA’s food and nutrition assistance programs fell in fiscal year 2023. July 22, 2024. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/food-security-and-nutrition-assistance
37. Jones JW, Toossi S. The food and nutrition assistance landscape: fiscal year 2023 annual report (Report No. EIB-274). US Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. 2024. doi:10.32747/2024.8453401.ers
38. United States Department of Agriculture. SNAP online purchasing to cover 90% of households. US Department of Agriculture. May 20, 2020. https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2020/05/20/snap-online-purchasing-cover-90-households
39. Wolfson JA, Leung CW. Food insecurity and COVID-19: disparities in early effects for US adults. Nutrients. 2020;12(6):1648. doi:10.3390/nu12061648
40. Kinsey EW, Kinsey D, Rundle AG. COVID-19 and food insecurity: an uneven patchwork of responses. J Urban Health. 2020;97:332-335. doi:10.1007/s11524-020-00455-5
41. Falcettoni E, Nygaard VM. A literature review on the impact of increased unemployment insurance benefits and stimulus checks in the United States. Covid Econ. 2021;64:186-201. https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/acts-of-congress-and-covid-19-unemployment-insurance-benefits-and-stimulus-checks-20210224.html
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