Racing Toward Food Security by Teaching Food Shopping Pat Brinkman Cheryle Jones Syracuse

Definitions Food Security- access by all people at all times to enough food for an active and healthy life Food Insecurity without hunger- limited or uncertain ability to acquire or consume an adequate quality and of sufficient quantity of food in socially acceptable ways: inadequate resources to buy enough food and can’t afford to eat balanced meals

Definitions (continued) Food Insecurity with hunger— the uneasy or painful sensation caused by a recurrent or involuntary lack of food, which can over time lead to malnutrition. Families have decreased quality as well as quantity of food they consume. Repeated patterns of hunger. Forced to cut back on the size of children’s meals in order to make ends meet. Source: Boyle, M, 2003 Community Nutrition in Action: An Entrepreneurial Approach, 3 rd ed. Wadsworth/Thompson, Belmont, CA.

Factors that Impact Food Insecurity Economic resources Access to food Food-related behaviors Food intake Nutrient Utilization Nutrition status Health effects Source: Wehler and Anderson, Journal of Nutrition Educations 24 (1992): 325

Impact of Hunger Research shows that hungry children: – Have more health problems – Exhibit disruptive behavior – Are more likely to be tardy or absent from school – Score lower on achievement tests – Fall asleep during class – Do not reach their full potential Source: “The Consequences of Hunger and Food Insecurity for Children: Evidence from Recent Scientific Studies. Center on Hunger and Poverty, June 2002

Food Security in the US 2004 – 11.9% of American households were food insecure at least sometime during the year – 3.5% reported they were food insecure with hunger – Most avoided hunger by relying upon a few basic foods, reducing variety in diets or using emergency food from a food pantry.

*Food Stamp Program *Child Nutrition Programs National School Lunch School Breakfast Programs Summer Nutrition Program *Child and Adult Care Food Program *WIC Food Assistance Programs

Food Assistance Programs (cont) TANF TEFAP (Commodity Food Programs) Soup kitchens Food Pantries

Who is more likely to be food insecure? Lower levels of food and financial skills held by the mother Higher levels of depressive symptoms in the mother Difficulty paying for medical care Less than high school education Not owning a home

Food Insecurity and the Elderly 6.3% (2002) w/1.9% food insecure with hunger Causes -not having enough money for food -poor health -limited mobility -limited transportation -lack of social support -functional impairments

Food Security and the Elderly Elderly in inner-city twice as likely to be food insecure than those in urban areas Unmarried elderly men most insecure Married couples most secure Rely upon private charities rather than FSP

Food Security and Rural Populations Food insecurity is more prevalent in non- metropolitan households Less likely to participate in the Food Stamp Program

Lowest Income Consume Less Fruits and vegetables Grains Potassium Fiber Folate Dairy—especially milk Women—low on iron Less likely to meet Vitamin C requirement

Other implications for Food Stamp Participants or Lowest Income More likely to skip breakfast More likely to consume more soft drinks Consumed more meat than other groups Women more likely to be overweight or obese

Implications for Lowest Income Elderly More skipped breakfasts Low vitamin C intake Low calcium intake Very low fiber intake Higher sodium concentration in diet More soft drinks consumed

Elderly (continued) More likely to have reduced or severely reduced bone density Females—less obese than higher incomes Males—more likely to be underweight Males—eat more meat and dairy

Life skills that can help prevent food insecurity Ability to manage bills Ability to make a budget Ability to stretch groceries to the end of the month Ability to prepare a well-balanced meal

Shopping Strategies to Reduce Food Insecurity Only a few studies found…why? Many factors – besides shopping – can affect whether or not persons achieve food security; for example: – Individual’s health – Individual’s education – Local conditions – Different cultural values – Different food practices

Shopping Strategies to Reduce Food Insecurity – Some Data Available USDA Economic Research Service study – Economize by purchasing larger proportion of discounted or on sale products – Purchasing large packages/volume discounts – Purchasing generic or store brands – Purchasing less expensive food products within product class

Purchasing store label and generic items Purchasing larger package sizes Purchasing lower quality items Other findings include using discount food stores and buying and consuming less food. “Exploring Food Purchase Behaviors of Low Income Households How Do They Economize” concluded low-income households use these techniques: Source: USDA Current Issues in Economics of Food Markets, Agriculture Information Bulletin No , 2003

Interviews of EFNEP & FSNEP Educators in New Jersey Identified four categories of food acquisition practices of program participants: 1. Rely on resources in community 2. Interact with informal support systems 3. Supplement financial resources 4. Lower food costs by using shopping strategies Source: Family Economics and Nutrition Review 14 (2)

Study on Factors Protecting Against and Contributing to Food Insecurity Among Rural Families This study found that life skills related to food security were: Ability to manage bills Ability to make a budget Ability to stretch groceries to the end of the month Ability to prepare a well-balanced meal Need to teach these skills. Source: Family Economics and Nutrition Review, Vol. 16 No

Implications for Educators Encourage families in FNP and EFNEP programs to seek food assistance programs Encourage participation in FNP/EFNEP Teach food and financial skills Encourage participation to complete high school education Teach nutritional information which addresses areas of nutritional need for low-income see “Chart Based on Research”

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