2015
Profiles of Latino Health:
A Closer Look at Latino Child Nutrition
ISSUE 1: FOOD INSECURITY WITHIN THE LATINO COMMUNITY* Nearly 49 million Americans live in households that are considered food insecure, that is, people living in the home do not have “access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.”1 Latino† families are disproportionately affected, experiencing some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the United States. This places the health and well-being of their children at significant risk. Food insecurity can have lasting impacts on children’s health; when access to nutritious food is limited, healthy growth and development may be at risk. With Hispanic families experiencing some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the United States, this problem is a real threat to the health and well-being of Latino children. Food insecurity affects almost one in four Hispanic households. • In 2013, 14.3% of all U.S. households were food insecure.‡ Food insecurity rates were more than double for Hispanic (23.7%) and Black (26.1%) households compared to White (10.6%) households in 2013. Hispanics made up more than one-fifth (21.2%) of all food-insecure households. Latino families with children are more likely to experience very low food security. • Hispanic children are more than twice as likely (1.4%) as White children (0.6%) to be living in households with very low food security. • Latinos account for almost one-third (31.1%) of all households with very low food security among children.
FOOD INSECURITY DEFINED
Food insecurity: Households for whom “access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources” at times during the year. Food insecurity with hunger (very low food security): Food-insecure households that experience “disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake” at times during the year. When these conditions are experienced by children, the household is categorized as having very low food security among children. Source: Alisha Coleman-Jensen, Christian Gregory, and Anita Singh, Household Food Security in the United States in 2013, Economic Research Report 173. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Washington, DC, 2014.
* This profile was authored by Minerva Delgado, Consultant to the Health Policy Project in NCLR’s Office of Research, Advocacy, and Legislation (ORAL), with substantive input, direction, and oversight from Samantha Vargas Poppe, Associate Director, Policy Analysis Center, and Steven Lopez, Manager, Health Policy Project. It is an update of a document originally released in 2010 and authored by Kara D. Ryan. NCLR is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. Thi s brief was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The findings and conclusions presented are those of the author and NCLR alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of our funders. Permission to copy, disseminate, or otherwise use information from this paper is granted, provided that appropriate credit is given to NCLR. † The terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” are used interchangeably by the U.S. Census Bureau and throughout this document to refer to persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American, Dominican, Spanish, and other Hispanic descent; they may be of any race. Unless otherwise noted, unless otherwise noted, estimates in this document do not include the 3.7 million residents of Puerto Rico. Comparison data for non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks will be identified respectively as “Whites” and “Blacks.” ‡ Unless otherwise noted, all statistics in this document are derived from Alisha Coleman-Jensen, Christian Gregory, and Anita Singh, Household Food Security in the United States in 2013, Economic Research Report 173. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Washington, DC, 2014; and Alisha Coleman-Jensen, Christian Gregory, and Anita Singh, Household Food Security in the United States in 2013: Statistical Supplement, Administrative Publication 66. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Washington, DC, 2014.
ISSUE 1: FOOD INSECURITY WITHIN THE LATINO COMMUNITY
2015
Profiles of Latino Health:
A Closer Look at Latino Child Nutrition
ISSUE 1: FOOD INSECURITY WITHIN THE LATINO COMMUNITY* Figure 1: Percent of Children in Food-Insecure Households by Race/Ethnicity, 2002–2013 Percent of Children in Food Insecure Households by Race/Ethnicity,
Rates of food insecurity are higher among households with children.
• In households with children younger than 2002-‐2013 40 age 18, more than one-quarter of Latino 35 (28%) and nearly one-third of Black (32.6%) households were food insecure. About 30 one in seven (14.4%) White households Percent of Children i25 n Food Insecure Households by Race/Ethnicity, with children younger than 18 werePercent foodof Children in Food Insecure H2002-‐2013 ouseholds by Race/Ethnicity, 40 of Children in Food Insecure H2002-‐2013 20 Percent ouseholds by Race/Ethnicity, insecure in 2013. 40
40 of Children in Food Insecure 2002-‐2013 Percent Households by Race/Ethnicity, 35 15 2002-‐2013
• In 2013, there were 4.7 million Hispanic 35 40 30 35 children living in food-insecure households, 30 35 25 representing close to one-third (29.9%) of 30 25 30 all children in food-insecure families. 20 25
5 0
Recovery from the Great 20 Recession 15 15 20 (December 2007–June 2009) has not 10 yielded a 15 10 15 substantial reduction in Latino children’s food 5 10 insecurity rates. 5 10 0
5
Black Hispanic
10
20
25
All White
All All
White
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 All 2007 2008 White 2009 Black 2010 2011 2012 2013 All
White
Black
White
Black
Hispanic
Hispanic
Source: Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Black Hispanic Agriculture, “Number of children by food security status of Hispanic households and selected household characteristics,” Household Food Security in the United States. Washington, DC, 2002–2013.
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
5 • Food insecurity rates among 0 all2002 children 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Figure 2008 2009 2: 2010 2011 2012 2013 0 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 of2012 2013 increased significantly during the2004 Great Averages Children in Food-Insecure Households by 0 of Children in Food Insecure Households by Race/Ethnicity and Recession 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Averages 2013 Race/Ethnicity and RecessionTime Time Period, 2005-2013 Recession. There has been improvement Period, 2005-‐2013 since, but these rates have not returned 31.3 to prerecession levels for any racial/ethnic 34.4 Hispanic group. 25.5
• For Latino children, food insecurity rates 33.6 increased from 26% in the prerecession 34.3 Black 28.2 period to 34% during the recession and Averages of Children in Food Insecure Households by Race/Ethnicity and Recession Time Period, a2nd 005-‐2013 have since decreased to 31% in theAverages post-of Children in Food Insecure Households by Race/Ethnicity Recession Time Period, 2005-‐2013 15.8 Averages o f C hildren i n F ood I nsecure H ouseholds b y R ace/Ethnicity a nd R ecession recession period. See Figure 2 for Time average Period, 2005-‐2013 16.4 White 31.3 rates of food insecurity by race/ethnicity 12.0 Hispanic 34.4 31.3 25.5 Hispanic 34.4 31.3 from 2005 to 2013. Hispanic
25.5 These consistently high rates of food insecurity among Latino families have serious implications Black for the health and nutrition of Latino children. Black
25.5
34.4
Black
White 15.8 White
28.2 0.0
16.4
12.0
Endnotes
All All
28.2
34.3
12.0
16.4
17.0 34.3
33.6
White 15.8
5.0
10.0
15.8 Post-‐Recession Average (2010-‐13) 16.4 Recession Average (2008-‐09)
Post-‐Recession Average (2010-‐13) 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0 Post-‐Recession Average (2010-‐13) Recession Average (2008-‐09) Recession Average (2008-‐09)
Prerecession Average (2005-‐07)
Prerecession Average Research (2005-‐07) Service, U.S. Source: NCLR calculation using Economic Prerecession A12.0 verage Department of(2005-‐07) Agriculture, “Number of children by food security status of households and selected household characteristics,” Household Food Security in the United 21.8 States. Washington, DC, 2005–2013. 22.9
21.8 17.0
22.9
21.8
Prerecession Average (2005-‐0
21.8
33.6
28.2
Recession Average (2008-‐09)
33.6 22.9
All
34.3
Post-‐Recession Average (2010
¹ Alisha Coleman-Jensen, Christian Gregory, and Anita Singh,22.9 Household Food17.0 Security in the United States in 2013, Economic Research Report 173. Economic All Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Washington, DC, 2014. 0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0 17.0 0.0 0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
5.0 25.0
10.0 30.0
15.0 35.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
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40.0
ISSUE 1: FOOD INSECURITY WITHIN THE LATINO COMMUNITY