 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Kristine Siefert, PhD, MPH, School of Social Work, NIMH Reseach Center on Poverty, Risk, and Mental Health, University of Michigan, 1080 S. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, (734) 763-6201, ksiefert@umich.edu, Colleen M. Heflin, PhD, Martin School of Public Policy, University of Kentucky, 429 POT, Lexington, KY 40503, Mary Corcoran, Department of Political Science, Universtiy of Michigan, 406 Lorch Hall, 611 Tappan Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1220, and David Williams, PhD, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson St. Rm 2230, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248.
Household food insufficiency is a significant problem in the United States, and. households headed by poor African American mothers are at especially high risk. Although household food insufficiency has been associated with lower nutrient intakes, little research has been done on its health consequences. We examined the relationship between household food insufficiency and self-reported health and mental health in 651 African American and white welfare recipients over two years. Race was not associated with health status in this economically disadvantaged sample, but respondents who reported food insufficiency during both years were significantly more likely to report fair or poor health at the second wave, and less likely to report a high sense of mastery over their lives. Food insufficiency at wave 2 only was significantly associated with meeting the diagnostic screening criteria for recent major depression and with a lower sense of mastery These findings suggest that household food insufficiency has potentially serious consequences for health. Given the overrepresentation of African American women among the food insufficient and current budget cuts, our findings also suggest that policies that fail to reduce household food insufficiency could contribute to the maintenance or growth of racial/ethnic health disparities in the United States. Learning Objectives: 1.Describe racial/ethnic disparities in household food sufficiency in the United States, 2. Discuss findings from a longitudinal study of household food insufficiency and health. 3.Articulate the implications of cutbacks in food assistance and other programs for poor African American women and their children.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Food Security, African American
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.