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June 12, 2007
Los Angeles - More than 2.5 million low-income Californians (30%) cannot afford adequate food for their families on a consistent basis, according to a new policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. For more than 775,000 adults, this problem is so severe that they frequently reduce the quality of their food intake or go hungry.
Compiled with data from three rounds of the California Health Interview Survey, the policy brief notes that the percentage of low-income adults who suffer from food insecurity (i.e., are forced to choose between food and other necessities, such as rent or prescription medicine) actually decreased from 33.9% in 2003 to 30% in 2005, but was still higher than the 29.1% recorded in 2001. This improvement is attributed to the state's recent economic expansion and an emerging change in the demography of California's low-income.
The authors further note, that while the state's overall rate of food insecurity fell in 2005, this improvement left out many groups that were already the most vulnerable, such as unemployed residents, undocumented immigrants and low-income families with children. The percentage of low-income Californians experiencing very low food security (i.e., those missing meals) did not change significantly between 2003 and 2005.
"Although there has been some improvement, we're still seeing millions of our fellow Californians struggling to fill this basic human need, and that impacts all of us." said lead author Gail Harrison, professor of Community Health Sciences at the UCLA School of Public Health and senior research scientist at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. "Among the consequences of widespread food insecurity are a diminished work force, higher health costs and poor performance in school."
Rates of food insecurity vary among the state's ethnic groups and the variation has remained constant since 2001. Among low-income Californians, African Americans had the highest rate of household food insecurity (37.5%), followed by Latinos at 32.6%. Whites and Asians had lower rates at 28.6% and 24.1%, respectively.
Food insecurity also varies widely by county. The highest food insecurity rates are found in Kings, Napa, Merced, Fresno, Santa Barbara, Alameda and Tulare counties.
Other findings in the policy brief include:
- Households with the lowest incomes are at the highest risk for food insecurity. Among households with incomes below the federal poverty level, 36.2% were food insecure, compared to 25.6% for households with incomes between 100% and 199% of the federal poverty level.
- Food insecurity is more likely to be reported among adults in less than good health. In 2005, 40.1% of low-income adults who reported fair or poor health status lived in food-insecure households, compared to 24.8% among those reporting good health.
- Adults living in low-income households with food insecurity are also more likely to struggle with overweight or obesity. In 2005, 64% of adults in food-insecure households were overweight or obese, compared to 58% of those in food-secure households.
"The small improvement that we've seen since 2003 tells us that policy solutions can work, and that hunger and food insecurity need not be constants in the lives of working Californians," said Matthew Sharp, co-author of the policy brief and Southern California Regional advocate for the California Food Policy Advocates, which provided funding for the study. "Policymakers at the state and local level must recognize that marginal improvement isn't enough when it comes to unnecessary suffering on this scale. More changes are needed."
Since it was first conducted in 2001, the California Health Interview Survey has been an essential tool for policy makers, researchers and health advocates at every level needing a detailed snapshot of the complex health needs of California's diverse population. The survey is a collaborative project of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, the California Department of Health Services, and the Public Health Institute.
The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research was established in 1994 and is one of the nation's leading health policy research centers. It is also the premier source of key health policy information for California. Directed by E. Richard Brown, the Center is based in the UCLA School of Public Health and is also affiliated with the UCLA School of Public Affairs.
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