Understanding the impacts of COVID-19 on the determinants of food insecurity: A state-specific examination

Abstract

This paper examines risk factors influencing food insecurity during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in a state in the U.S. heavily impacted by it and offers recommendations for multi-sector intervention.The U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey was analyzed to evaluate the impacts of COVID-19 on food security in Massachusetts from April 2020 through March 2021 using a study sample of 57,678 participants. Food security was defined as a categorical variable (food security, marginal food security, low food security, very low food security) and binary variable (food security and food insecurity). Known or suspected factors that contribute to it, such as childcare, education, employment, housing, and transportation were examined in multivariate logistic regression models. Data imputation methods accounted for missing data.Sociodemographic characteristics, including lower education level and living in a household with children, were determinants of food insecurity. Another factor that influenced food insecurity was economic hardships, such as unemployment, being laid off due to COVID-19, not working due to concerns about contracting or spreading COVID-19, or not having enough money to buy food. A third factor influencing food insecurity was food environment, such as lack of geographic access to healthy foods. Some of these factors have been exacerbated by the pandemic and will continue to impact food security. These should be addressed through a comprehensive approach with public health efforts considering all levels of the social ecological model and the context created by the pandemic.