Summary
Food insecurity, a condition defined by limited or uncertain access to sufficient, nutritious food for an active, healthy life, disproportionately affects low-income communities and communities of color. The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, and the associated social and economic response (e.g., school closures, stay at home orders, business closures, and job losses) have the potential to dramatically increase food insecurity and its related health disparities among already at-risk populations.
In addition to the long-term health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to understand the immediate impact of social distancing measures to fight COVID-19 on vulnerable populations who already struggle to meet their basic needs. To do so, authors fielded a national survey of low-income adults in the United States March 19–24, 2020, to understand the immediate effects of how COVID-19 was impacting low-income Americans and any disparities in its effects based on food security status. Authors designed a web-based (Qualtrics) survey to measure the initial effects of COVID-19 on low-income adults in the United States (US) in mid-March 2020, just as some states were beginning to implement school closures and “stay at home” orders. The web-based survey was formatted to be accessible when access both via smart phones and on a personal computer or laptop.
Authors invited 2,840 eligible panel members to participate and 1497 participants completed the survey (53% completion rate).
Findings: The social and economic upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is magnifying existing disparities and disproportionately affecting low-income, food-insecure households that already struggle to meet basic needs. The early effects documented in the present study are likely to continue to worsen as the pandemic continues unless extensive policy and economic supports are swiftly implemented.
This study cites 2011–2012 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data.
