As a highly vulnerable population, children are disproportionately at risk for food insecurity (FI), a condition of inadequate food supply due to social and economic hardship. Recent reports have shown that childhood rates of FI range between 9% to 26% (or an average of 17.9%) with state to state variability (USDA, The Meal Gap, 2017). Not surprisingly, multiple studies have shown that poor health outcomes are associated with FI, making this an issue of importance to pediatric health care providers (Gunderson et al Health Affairs, 2015 Nov, Seligman et al, J Nutr.2010 Feb)
In a recently released article in Pediatrics, Dr. Michelle Phan discusses a novel approach to address FI that often develops in families living in a food desert (10.1542/peds.2018-1336). Her article highlights the use of mobile technology to enable online food purchasing for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). By offering the ability to purchase food online with a smartphone, many families are now able to bypass several barriers that influence FI in food deserts such as high transportation costs or limited, low quality food choices.
Unfortunately, even with the partial online expansion of SNAP, it appears we are still far from eliminating FI. Estimates from Map the Meal Gap show that only 1 in 5 children living in homes with FI qualify for government assistance programs such as SNAP, the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) since their family's household income is too high for the current qualifying standards (USDA, The Meal Gap, 2017). This fact is undoubtedly disheartening given that the evidence has consistently shown that these programs and others can significantly reduce FI and improve health outcomes (USDA Summary Report Aug 2013, Metallinos-Katsaras, E, et al Matern Child Health J. 2011 Jul).
Given the prevalence, it is inevitable that pediatric health care providers will encounter families who face FI on a regular basis. While we should continue to provide referrals to social workers, food banks and other community resources during our visits with these children, we also need to advocate for the expansion of government assistance programs so that no child is lost in the gap. As Phan argues, just as SNAP is eliminating barriers to food access with mobile applications, it’s time we think creatively about technology’s role in this fight and how we may better utilize its potential.
References:
- US Department of Agriculture. Feeding America Map The Meal Gap 2017. http://www.feedingamerica.org/research/map-the-meal-gap/2015/2015-mapthemealgap-execsummary.pdf
- Gundersen, C, and J P Ziliak. “Food Insecurity And Health Outcomes.” Advances in Pediatrics., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Nov. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26526240,
- Seligman, Hilary K., et al. “Food Insecurity Is Associated with Chronic Disease among Low-Income NHANES Participants.” Advances in Pediatrics., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Feb. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2806885/
- US Department of Agriculture. Measuring the Effect of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation on Food Security (Summary). August 2013. https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/Measuring2013Sum.pdf
- Metallinos-Katsaras, E, et al. “A Longitudinal Study of WIC Participation on Household Food Insecurity.” Advances in Pediatrics., U.S. National Library of Medicine, July 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20455015
