Understanding food insecurity in the summer among African

Understanding food insecurity in the summer among African American children in rural Missouri. Melissa Chapnick, RD, Ellen Barnidge, Ph. D, MPH, Elizabeth A. Baker, Ph. D, MPH, Marjorie Sawicki, MS, RD, LDN Freda Motton, MPH Results Pemiscot County, MO Background Pemiscot County, Missouri has one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the state with 1 in 4 households with children identified as food insecure (1). Rates for African American(AA) children are disproportionately higher (suggesting that greater than 1 in 4 AA children are food insecure) (2). Food insecurity during childhood is associated with poor health and developmental outcomes (3, 4, 5). Summer is a uniquely vulnerable time for households with children, particularly those living in rural communities (6). The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that affect food insecurity among African American children in a rural area during the summer and determine potential points of intervention. Methods Structured focus group interviews were conducted with 23 African American caregivers of school-aged children at risk of food insecurity. Participants were recruited from summer food programs and after school programs in Pemiscot County, Missouri. A focused prompt was used to elicit responses from participants. The selected prompt asked “What are all the things, good and bad, that affect whether kids have enough food to eat in the summer? ” Focused coding was used to analyze interviews for factors at various ecological levels influencing whether kids had enough to eat in the summer. Literature cited 1. Cafer, Anne, Dawdy, Jordan, Foulkes, Matt, Heflin, Colleen, Hermsen, Joan, Kaiser, Michelle, . . . Scott, Jessica. (2013). Missouri Hunger Atlas. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Interdisciplinary Center for Food Security 2. Nord, M. , & Parker, L. (2010). How adequately are food needs of children in low-income households being met? Children and Youth Services Review, 32(9), 1175 -1185. doi: 10. 1016/j. childyouth. 2010. 03. 005 3. Jyoti, D. F. , Frongillo, E. A. , & Jones, S. J. (2005). Food insecurity affects school children's academic performance, weight gain, and social skills. Journal of Nutrition, 135(12), 2831 -2839. 4. Mc. Laughlin, K. A. , Green, J. G. , Alegria, M. , Costello, E. J. , Gruber, M. J. , Sampson, N. A. , & Kessler, R. C. (2012). Food Insecurity and Mental Disorders in a National Sample of U. S. Adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(12), 1293 -1303. doi: 10. 1016/j. jaac. 2012. 09. 009 5. Seligman, Hilary K. , Laraia, Barbara A. , & Kushel, Margot B. (2010). Food Insecurity Is Associated with Chronic Disease among Low-Income NHANES Participants. The Journal of Nutrition, 140(2), 304 -310. 6. Nord, Mark, & Romig, Kathleen. (2006). Hunger in the Summer. Journal of Children and Poverty, 12(2), 141 -158. doi: 10. 1080/10796120600879582 7. Bartfeld, Judith S. , Ryu, Jeong-Hee, & Wang, Lingling. (2010). Local Characteristics Are Linked to Food Insecurity Among Households With Elementary School Children. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, 5(4), 471 -483. doi: 10. 1080/19320248. 2010. 527278 8. Bartfield, J. , & Dunifon, R. (2006). State-level predictors of food insecurity among households with children. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 25(4), 921 -942. doi: 10. 1002/pam. 20214 Demographics/Socio-Demographic Characteristics (n=23) - Majority female (91%), average 39 years of age - 52% had high school education, while only 8% were college grads or higher - Utilized a variety of food assistance programs including National School Breakfast, National School Lunch and Summer Food Service Program - The average household consisted of one adult and three children - Over 60% of participants made less than $15, 000 annually - 22% and 39% of households were considered to have very low food security or low food security respectively Factors Affecting Summer Food Insecurity Participants described both year around and summer specific factors at each level of the social ecological model that influence summer food insecurity in children.

Understanding food insecurity in the summer among African American children in rural Missouri. Factors Affecting Summer Food Insecurity SEM Level Category Example Quote Intrapersonal Employment “Parents not working. ”, “Not enough money. ” Education/Skills “Some parents need to learn how to budget money. ” Knowledge of Resources “Misinformation/lack of info about other food programs. ” Emotions “Pride may keep some families from pantry/summer food program. ” Household Composition “One parent in the home” , “Increased family sizes from more kids or families moving in together” Interpersonal Fluctuating “Utility bills are higher during the summer months therefore taking away money from Household Expenses groceries” “Too many children at home at the same time, now breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same time. ” Resource Sharing Organizational Community Policy “Ability to stay at a relative’s house. ” SFSP Implementation “Kids don’t have to have their parents at the lunch in order to eat. ” SFSP Safety “Some summer food program sites may not be safe for the kids – bullying. ” SFSP Meals “Amount of food is enough for younger kids, maybe need more for older kids. ” Cost of Food “Food is expensive. ”, “Food prices are higher in the summer. ” Food Access “No transportation to food. ” Employment Opportunities “No jobs” Food Assistance Programs “Summer programs such as summer school, community outreach center, and Lincoln University center provide meals for participating children” Weather “It’s hot, too hot to go. ” Supplemental Food Assistance “Parents work more hours so their food stamps are being cut and there is not enough money to pay the bills and buy groceries. ” Summer Food Service Program “If it wasn’t for the summer food program, many children would be hungry. ” Conclusions These findings are consistent with other research suggesting there are predictors of summer food insecurity extending beyond access to federal meal programs such as National School Breakfast and National School Lunch (7, 8, 2). Additional research is needed to understand the importance of these factors in influencing summer food insecurity, and to compare factor importance to other geographic locations and populations. Lessons learned from this study will inform programmatic and policy interventions that address food insecurity among rural African American children during the summer. For additional information and questions please contact: Melissa Chapnick, RD Masters of Public Health 2015 Masters of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics 2015 Saint Louis University College of Public Health and Social Justice Mchapni 1@slu. edu