Food insecurity among low-income Hispanics in Hartford, Connecticut : Implications for public health policy

Examines hunger & food insecurity among low-income Hispanic families with children in Hartford, CT, using the Radimer/Cornell Scale. Association of specified sociodemographic & food-assistance variables with hunger & food insecurity is also examined. More than 41% of households were food...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human organization 2000-10, Vol.59 (3), p.334-342
Main Authors: HIMMELGREEN, David A, PEREZ-ESCAMILLA, Rafael, SEGURA-MILLAN, Sofia, PENG, Yu-Kuei, GONZALEZ, Anir, SINGER, Merrill, FERRIS, Ann
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bilingualism
Children
Children & youth
Cognitive problems, arts and sciences, folk traditions, folklore
Connecticut
Ethnology
Food
Food security
Food shortages
Food stamps
Hartford, Connecticut
Health care policy
Health Policy
Hispanic Americans
Hispanic people
Hispanics
Households
Hunger
Inner city
Low income
Low Income Groups
Malnutrition
Nutrition
Population
Poverty
Public Health
Sociodemographics
Statistical analysis
Traditional and modern medicine
public health
Traditional sciences and medicine
U.S.A
Welfare reform
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Summary:Examines hunger & food insecurity among low-income Hispanic families with children in Hartford, CT, using the Radimer/Cornell Scale. Association of specified sociodemographic & food-assistance variables with hunger & food insecurity is also examined. More than 41% of households were food insecure, 25.4% of the adult participants were food insecure, & 20.9% of the study children (1-6 years) suffered from periodic hunger. These data corroborate an earlier study conducted in late-1980s Hartford during, & the finding on child hunger is similar to that reported in national studies. Variables associated with hunger & food insecurity included female caretaker being the household head, female caretaker being older, child not being enrolled in a preschool/kindergarten program, & household running out of food stamps before month's end. Although not statistically significant, household seeking emergency food assistance was also associated with hunger & food insecurity. By using estimates & risk factors of hunger & food insecurity, policy makers can monitor prevalence rates, better target food programs intended to alleviate hunger, & make informed decisions on public health nutrition policy, particularly important in light of recent welfare reforms. 4 Tables, 38 References. Adapted from the source document.
ISSN:0018-7259
1938-3525
DOI:10.17730/humo.59.3.76557m317748l414