World Hunger Notes--Household Food Security in the United States Worsens, More Than One of Ten Food Insecure at Some Time -- Mark Nord, Margaret Andrews, and Steven Carlson.


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U.S. Household Food Security Worsens-- More Than One of Ten Food Insecure at Some Time During the Year, USDA Survey Finds

Mark Nord, Margaret Andrews, and Steven Carlson

Eleven percent of American households were food insecure at least some time during 2001, meaning they did not always have access to enough food for active, healthy lives for all household members because they lacked sufficient money or other resources for food. The prevalence of food insecurity rose six percent, from 10.1 percent in 1999 to 10.7 percent in 2001.

Basic Food Security Concepts Used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Food security refers to assured access to enough food at all times for an active and healthy life. At a minimum, food security means having available nutritionally adequate and safe foods, and being able to acquire these foods in socially acceptable ways - without resorting to emergency food banks, scavenging, or stealing, for example.
Food insecurity occurs whenever the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food, or the ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways, is limited or uncertain.
Hunger is defined as the uneasy or painful sensation caused by a recurrent or involuntary lack of food and is a potential, although not necessary, consequence of food insecurity. Over time, hunger may result in malnutrition.

Sources: USDA, Tufts Center for Hunger and Poverty

The prevalence of food insecurity with hunger rose from 3.0 percent to 3.3 percent during the same period. This report, based on data from the December 2001 food security survey, provides the most recent statistics on the food security of U.S. households, as well as on how much they spent for food and the extent to which food-insecure households participated in Federal and community food assistance programs.

Survey responses indicate that the typical food-secure household in the United States spent 32 percent more than the typical food-insecure household of the same size and household composition. About one-half of all food-insecure households participated in one or more of the three largest Federal food assistance programs during the month prior to the survey. One-half of food insecure households did not participate in any Federal food assistance program. About 19 percent of food-insecure households—2.8 percent of all U.S. households—obtained emergency food from a food pantry at some time during the year. Key facts:

During the 12 months preceding the 2001 survey, 3.5 million households experienced hunger. Nine million adults and children lived in these households.

In 2001, nearly 13 million children under age 18 lived in food-insecure households (17.6% of all children).

Female-headed households showed the highest levels of food insecurity and hunger, with 32% reporting food insecurity and 1 in 11 experiencing hunger.

Black and Hispanic households had food insecurity and hunger rates that were nearly 3 times those of White (non-Hispanic) households.

Food insecurity and hunger are concentrated in low-income households. In 2001, households with incomes below 130% poverty line had a food insecurity prevalence 3 times the national level. Nearly two-thirds of households reporting hunger had incomes under 185% of the poverty line.

Food Insecurity and Hunger in the United States, 2001

	000's	%
Children in households	72,321	(100.0)
Food insecure	12,701	17.6
without child hunger	12,234	16.9
with child hunger	467	0.6
Individuals in households	276,661	(100.0)
Food insecure	33,642	12.2
without hunger	24,628	8.9
with hunger	9,014	3.3
Number of households	107,824	(100.0)
Food insecure	11,521	10.7
without hunger	8,010	7.4
with hunger	3,511	3.3

Source: Nord, M., Andrews, M., & Carlson, S. (October 2002) Household Food Security in the United States, 2001. Washington, D.C.: Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

For further information on food insecurity hunger in the United States, also see the USDA homepage on food security in the United States and the Tufts Center on Hunger and Poverty.

Mark Nord and Margaret Andrews work in the Food and Rural Economics Division, Economic Research Service (ERS), U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nord is Team Leader for Food Stamp and Food Security Research, and Andrews is Assistant Deputy Director for Food Stamp Research in the Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Program. Steven Carlson is Director of Family Programs Staff in the Office of Analysis, Nutrition, and Evaluation, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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