Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-2023
Keywords
food insecurity; COVID-19; health and community
Abstract
COVID-19 variants continue to create public health danger impacting mortality and morbidity across the United States. The spillover effects of COVID-19 on the economy and social institutions pose a significant threat to broader wellbeing, including the food security of millions across the country. We aim to explore whether the context of place matters above and beyond individual and social vulnerabilities for food insecurity. To do so, we employ a multi-level framework using data from a survey of over 10,000 U.S. adults from March 2020 with American Community Survey (ACS) and John Hopkins COVID Dashboard county-level data. We find nearly two in five respondents were food insecure by March of 2020 with disparities across race, nativity, the presence of children in the home, unemployment, and age. Furthermore, we note that individuals living in more disadvantaged communities were more likely to report food insecurity above and beyond individual and social vulnerabilities. Overall, food insecurity is driven by complex, multi-level dynamics that remain a pressing public health concern for the current—but also future—public health crisis.
Citation
Fitzpatrick, K.M.; Harris, C.T.; Willis, D.; Obermaier, A.; Drawve, G. Place Still Matters: Social Vulnerabilities, Place-Level Disadvantage, and Food Insecurity during COVID-19. Nutrients 2023, 15, 1430. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15061430
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Included in
COVID-19 Commons, Food Security Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Social Welfare Commons
