This study assesses the independent association of food insecurity with processes of care and delays in filling prescriptions using data from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS).

Associations of food insecurity with processes of care and delays in filling prescriptions were examined using multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, barriers to accessing care, and health status.

Data were analyzed from adults currently receiving treatment for type 2 diabetes and who had seen a doctor in the prior 12 months (N = 3,401).

Findings: For diabetes patients currently receiving medical care, food insecurity was not associated with lower rates of performance of recommended processes of care, but it was associated with delays in filling prescriptions (aOR = 2.15, 95 percent CI 1.25, 3.71).

Food insecurity may increase delays in filling prescriptions in daily life, even though the performance of recommended processes of care in the clinic is not diminished.