Food Insecurity in the United States: Measurement, Economic Modeling, and Food Assistance Effectiveness

Abstract

We first discuss the genesis and development of the Food Security Module in the United States. We then present a conceptual model of food insecurity, drawing on consumer choice theory. The model shows how food insecurity exhibits a quality–quantity trade-off and has linkages to policy levers. Next, we present new stylized facts pertaining to food consumption for those who report food insecurity versus those who do not. Adults residing in food-insecure households consume lower-quality diets across the entire distribution of diet quality and experience more volatility in caloric intake. Males younger than 20 years in food-insecure households exhibit no differences in diet quality but consume fewer calories, while the opposite is true for younger females. We review the literature pertaining to the effects of federal food assistance programs on food insecurity. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program tends to reduce household food insecurity, while having little to no effect on nutritional quality. Federal programs pertaining to children (i.e., the school food programs and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) tend to reduce food insecurity while also increasing the nutritional quality of children's diet.