Abstract
National level data show food insecurity/insufficiency is more common in Latino families than the dominant population, however local ethnic rates aren’t often available, nor have there been many studies of food insufficiency/insecurity among Latino ethnic groups. This study presents food insufficiency data from three low income immigrant Latino Chicago communities. Data were collected as part of a larger study of ethnic Latino differences in health and nutrition attitudes/behaviors and child health services use. Face to face interviews were conducted with 320 mothers of Latino children entering school for the first time (mean age 5.5 years). Food insufficiency questions from the Radimer/Cornell and NHANES III instruments were used. Participants were 70% Mexican, 22% Puerto Rican and 8% other Latino, reflecting Chicago Latino distribution. Thirty percent (n = 96) reported household food insufficiency, although most was worry about obtaining food, and was due to lack of money or Food Stamps. Some families experienced more severe food access problems, namely adults and children skipping meals, and adults or children going without food for an entire day. Puerto Rican families reported more severe food insufficiency than Mexican families, but there were few other ethnic differences. Only 30% of these low income food insufficient families were Food Stamp participants although 90% of the children received school meals. These data point to the need for better screening and program outreach for low income, immigrant Latino families.
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Notes
Food insufficiency as used in the NHANES III survey is defined as the individuals/households where a respondent reported that the family sometimes or often didn’t get enough food to eat [2]. Food insecurity is the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in a socially acceptable way [29].
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This research was supported by HRSA/MCHB Grant MCJ 17080.
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Chávez, N., Telleen, S. & Kim, Y.O.R. Food Insufficiency in Urban Latino Families. J Immigrant & Minority Health 9, 197–204 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-006-9032-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-006-9032-8