Food resources of low-income households in Southwest Mississippi

Abstract

Demographic data and food resources were studied for 1,400 households in seven counties in Southwest Mississippi. The results were compared for industrialized and non-industrialized counties and the urban areas. Household incomes and the educational levels of household heads were far below the national level. Hunger is still prevalent among those with the lowest incomes and the least education. Since most of the household heads with lower incomes either were unemployed or had unskilled jobs, the government was their main food resource. Welfare accounted for 25% and Food Stamps for 30%. The next important source was the school. Such critical conditions as lower income, limited education, unemployment, hunger, and need for government assistance were more prevalent in non-industrialized counties than in industrialized counties and the urban areas. The government assistance programs for food are necessary to prevent hunger, to maintain nutritional adequacy, and, consequently, to reduce medical bills. This is especially true for the poverty-level families, who need the federal food programs for daily survival.