Trends in Food Insecurity in the United States from 2011-2017: Disparities by Age, Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Income

The number of individuals in the United States who report food insecurity doubled between 2005 and 2012, with little research investigating possible disparities across time in food-insecure populations. The aim of this study was to investigate trends in food insecurity between 2001-2017 by sex, race/ethnicity, income, and age. Adults participating in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) between 2011-2017 were included in the study. Food insecurity was dichotomized based on affirmative responses to the Food Security Survey Module. Statistical analysis included logistic regression to investigate trends in food insecurity over time by each demographic variable (age, sex, race/ethnicity, income) adjusted by survey year and demographic variables. After adjustment, those ages ≥65 years were 39% less likely (OR = 0.61, 95% CI [0.57,0.65]) to report food insecurity compared to those ages 18-34; females were 23% more likely to be food insecure than males (OR = 1.23, 95% CI [1.19,1.27]); non-Hispanic blacks were 1.7 times more likely (OR = 1.69, 95% CI [1.62,1.76]) to be food insecure than non-Hispanic whites; and a clear gradient existed by income, with lower incomes more likely to be food insecure. Disparities in food insecurity exist across age, race/ethnicity, sex, and income and were consistent over time. These results suggest that targeted programs may be necessary to decrease food insecurity in particularly vulnerable subpopulations, and barriers to access and use of existing programs need to be investigated.