​Food insecurity remains a major public health concern in the United States. Studies have noted that food insecurity can lead to lower health care utilization and poorer health status. Despite the continuous burden of asthma, little research has shown whether food insecurity serves as a social determinant to poor asthma care.

In this study, authors specifically focused on whether food insecurity can lead to delay in prescription medication for adults with asthma in California, using 2009-2014 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) for adults. Survey weighted descriptive, univariate, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted. A total of 11,645 observations, representing an average annual population size of 1,085,481 was included in this study.

The authors found:

• Nearly 15% and 8% of participants were food insecure and had current asthma, respectively.
• Based on adjusted odds ratio, food insecure adults were 148% more likely to report delay in asthma prescription, as compared to those who were food secure. 

Given the delay in prescription, and thus appropriate health care, demonstrated in our study, targeted measures at point of care should be implemented to identify such at-risk patients early and provide resources for food aid to ensure optimal health outcomes.