F. Food Insecurity

FOOD INSECURITY

According to Healthy People 2020, food insecurity is defined as the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of a lack of money and other resources—which can be temporary or long-term. Food insecurity is an important social determinant within the economic stability domain. Food insecurity does not necessarily cause hunger; however, hunger is an outcome of food insecurity. Food insecurity may reflect a household’s need to make trade-offs between important basic needs, such as housing or medical bills, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods.

Having limited food access due to cost can be associated with chronic morbidities, such as obesity and diabetes. Seth A. Berkowitz, Andrew J. Karter and their colleagues conducted a study to analyze the association between food insecurity, low physical food access (food deserts), and glycemic control (diabetes). In March 2018, their study was published in the American Diabetes Association with the conclusion that food insecurity is associated with higher HbA1c (diabetes). However, living in an area with low physical food access (i.e., food deserts) is not associated with diabetes. Therefore, this study supports governmental efforts such as National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to reduce food insecurity.

25%

Orange County Child Food Insecurity Rate

20%

15%

10% 21.2%

20.6%

19.3%

17.9%

16.3% 18.1%

17.0%

15.7%

5%

0%

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Orange County California National

Source: Feeding America, 2012-2017

2017

Feeding America, a not-for-profit organization focusing on food access and nutrition, noted that the food insecurity rate in Orange County, across all age cohorts, was 9.2%. When looking at food insecurity rate for children, Feeding America reported that 15.7% of Orange County children experience food insecurity. This figure has dropped continually since 2012 (21.2%) and is below the California and National child food insecurity rates. Food insecure children are those children living in households experiencing food insecurity.

The table below ranks the Orange County school districts based on number of children eligible to receive either free or reduced priced meals.

Of the 479,000 students enrolled in public schools in Orange County, approximately 49% are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. School districts are often the primary source of nutrition for feeding children growing up with food insecurity. This is especially challenging for school districts with over 75% of students enrolled in the free and reduced-price meal programs.

School District Orange County School Districts by Number of Children Enrolled Eligible for Free or Reduced Priced Meals Free Meal Eligible Free or Reduced Price Meal Eligible

Children Enrolled (K-12) Number

% of District Above/Below CA Average Number

% of District Above/Below CA Average

Anaheim Elementary 17,342 12,931 74.6% ● 14,656 84.5% ●

Magnolia Elementary 5,851 4,487 76.7% ●

4,886 83.5% ● Santa Ana Unified 51,482 37,867 73.6% ● 41,542 80.7% ● SBE - Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana 674 504 74.8% ● 535 79.4% ● La Habra City Elementary 4,656 2,980 64.0% ● 3,463 74.4% ● Westminster 9,120 5,789 63.5% ● 6,595 72.3% ● Anaheim Union High 30,292 18,888 62.4% ● 21,604 71.3% ● Savanna Elementary 2,199 1,383 62.9% ● 1,552 70.6% ● Garden Grove Unified 42,301 25,590 60.5% ● 29,015 68.6% ● Buena Park Elementary 4,552 2,773 60.9% ● 3,113 68.4% ● Orange County Department of Education 6,955 4,002 57.5% ● 4,340 62.4% ● Centralia Elementary 4,221 2,269 53.8% ● 2,505 59.3% ● Fullerton Joint Union High 13,695 5,711 41.7% ● 6,719 49.1% ● Fullerton Elementary 13,067 5,650 43.2% ● 6,386 48.9% ● Orange Unified 27,478 11,797 42.9% ● 12,942 47.1% ● Ocean View 7,986 3,392 42.5% ● 3,721 46.6% ● Newport-Mesa Unified 20,641 8,169 39.6% ● 9,038 43.8% ● Tustin Unified 23,768 7,906 33.3% ● 9,242 38.9% ● Huntington Beach Union High 15,967 5,359 33.6% ● 5,974 37.4% ● Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified 25,477 8,538 33.5% ● 9,496 37.3% ● Cypress Elementary 3,923 1,158 29.5% ● 1,342 34.2% ● Brea-Olinda Unified 6,008 1,563 26.0% ● 1,826 30.4% ● Saddleback Valley Unified 26,747 7,236 27.1% ● 7,972 29.8% ● Capistrano Unified 53,269 12,567 23.6% ● 13,840 26.0% ● Fountain Valley Elementary 6,328 1,345 21.3% ● 1,508 23.8% ● Huntington Beach City Elementary 6,949 1,250 18.0% ● 1,353 19.5% ● Irvine Unified 35,291 5,837 16.5% ● 6,610 18.7% ● Los Alamitos Unified 9,730 1,328 13.6% ● 1,634 16.8% ● Laguna Beach Unified 2,861 300 10.5% ● 330 11.5% ●

Orange County Total 478,830 208,569 43.6% ● 233,739 48.8% ● California Total 6,186,628 3,236,350 52.3% 3,675,129 59.4%

Source: California Department of Education, January 31, 2019