Prevalence Of Food Insecurity Research Articles

Abstract PO1-10-03: Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Food Insecurity and Other Adverse Social Determinants of Health Among Breast Oncology Patients

Abstract Background: Social determinants of health (SDOH), the non-medical factors that influence health status, have a profound impact on breast cancer (BC) outcomes and contribute to survival disparities. Food insecurity (FI), defined as a lack of consistent access to adequate food resources, is a modifiable SDOH associated with treatment disruptions, medication nonadherence, and decreased quality of life. To identify at-risk patients and inform future interventions, we implemented SDOH screening of patients seen in breast oncology clinic at our urban academic medical center. Methods: Screening was conducted through an 8-item questionnaire on the electronic patient portal. The questions covered FI, housing and transportation challenges, and emergency department (ED) visits. We conducted a retrospective analysis of SDOH data collected among patients scheduled for a breast oncology appointment between 11/1/22 and 5/25/23. Any level of food hardship or concern constituted a positive FI screen. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the prevalence of FI and other SDOH, to assess differences in FI rates by age, race/ethnicity, and clinical stage, and to compare characteristics of food-insecure vs food-secure patients. We also conducted a multivariable logistic regression analysis to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) associated with sociodemographic/clinical factors and FI. Results: A total of 2,585 patients were seen in our breast oncology practice, of which 1,189 (46.0%) were screened for SDOH, including 41.2% non-Hispanic White (NHW), 9.6% non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and 21.0% Hispanic patients. Among patients who responded to each SDOH question, 15.5% (146/940) reported some level of FI; 8.7% (84/962) were unable to pay their rent or mortgage on time; for 5.8% (57/989), lack of transportation interfered with their treatment. The FI rate differed significantly by race and ethnicity: 4.5% of NHW, 15.2% of NHB, and 41.8% of Hispanic patients reported FI (p< 0.001). In multivariable analysis, NHB and Hispanic patients also had significantly higher odds of FI compared to NHW patients (OR=3.68, 95% CI=1.7-7.7, p< 0.001 for NHB and OR=15.0, 95% CI=8.8-27.1, p< 0.001 for Hispanic patients). Patients with metastatic disease had higher rates of FI compared to other breast oncology patients (23.6% vs 14.8%, p=0.048), and a metastatic BC diagnosis was associated with over twice the odds of FI (OR=2.18, 95% CI=1.1-4.2, p=0.02). Among food-insecure patients, 41.1% were unable to pay their rent or mortgage on time and 22.6% reported transportation difficulties interfering with treatment (vs 2.6% and 2.4%, respectively, for food-secure patients (p< 0.001)). Compared to food-secure patients, those who were food-insecure had significantly higher rates of self-reported ED visits in the past 12 months: 18.8% vs. 33.6% reported at least 1 ED visit, respectively, and 5.2% vs. 16.4% reported multiple ED visits, respectively (p< 0.001). Conclusions: In this analysis of SDOH data among patients seen in breast oncology clinic, FI was the most common social health risk reported, with nearly a quarter of patients with metastatic BC reporting FI. Racial/ethnic minorities were also at considerably higher risk for FI. ED utilization was significantly higher among food-insecure patients. Targeted interventions to reduce FI in at-risk populations are warranted to improve clinical and healthcare utilization outcomes. Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics and Other Reported Social Determinants of Health Among Food-Secure vs Food-Insecure Patients Citation Format: Claire Sathe, David DeStephano, Anita Gul, Melissa Beauchemin, Justine Kahn, Melissa Accordino, Katherine Crew, Ngozika Emezienna, Dawn Hershman. Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Food Insecurity and Other Adverse Social Determinants of Health Among Breast Oncology Patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-10-03.

Food insecurity and dietary diversity among food aid recipients in urban and rural areas at the covid‐19 outbreak: An exploratory study

AbstractThe covid‐19 pandemic has affected food aid. This paper reports an exploratory study to estimate the prevalence and degree of food insecurity, household dietary diversity score (HDDS), and the association with demographic, social, and economic characteristics of health status in a sample of food aid recipients in urban and rural areas of Catalonia, Spain. Cross‐sectional data on food insecurity, dietary diversity, household income, health, and sociodemographic characteristics were obtained from the survey taken at seven different food aid distribution points from urban and rural locations. Sixty‐six percent of the participants identified as new users since the covid‐19 crisis. Only 12.5% of the sample lived in households where all adults were unemployed, and 44.8% were employed. Almost a third of the sample (32.3%) reported having someone in their household who suffered from a diet‐related illness or disease. The prevalence of severe food insecurity was 52.1%, followed by 28.1% suffering moderate food insecurity. New food aid users due to covid‐19 pandemic showed a significantly higher prevalence of food insecurity. No significant differences were found in terms of HDDS. This paper provides evidence that much of the gap in food insecurity is related to dietary diversity and children in households considering different urban or rural areas.

The Prevalence of Food Insecurity among Postgraduate Students and Its Impact on Their Academic Performance: Evidence from Jordan

The Prevalence of Food Insecurity among Postgraduate Students and Its Impact on Their Academic Performance: Evidence from Jordan

Vision impairment and food insecurity in the national health and aging trends study

Vision impairment and food insecurity in the national health and aging trends study

Prevalence of and Contributors to Food Insecurity among College Athletes: A Scoping Review.

Given the financial demands of attending college, the transition to new living situations, abrupt changes in social support, and overall lifestyle adjustments, college students are at an increased risk of food insecurity (FI) compared to the general population. Collegiate athletes experience an even greater risk of FI as a result of greater time commitments and energy demands associated with their sports. This heightened vulnerability poses a tremendous threat to student-athletes' academic and athletic achievements. This study aims to address the prevalence and primary determinants of FI among collegiate athletes while providing potential solutions to navigate and alleviate the effects of diminished food security among this demographic. To address these aims, a total of 18 articles were selected from both peer-reviewed and gray literature. The U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module (US-HFSSM) survey tools were predominantly utilized across universities throughout the United States to gather data on FI. Student-athletes reported experiencing FI across various regions of the United States, including universities in the northeastern states (n = 5), the southwest region (n = 3), the southeast region (n = 3), the northwest (n = 1), and the Midwest (n = 1). Overall, FI prevalence rates ranged from 9.9% to 65%, and the most significant contributors included limited financial resources, time management, meal plans, and housing location/amenities. These findings highlight a need for screening, education, and interventions to address FI among collegiate athletes.

The Folly of Food Waste amidst Food Insecurity in the United States: A Literature Review

Food insecurity is an economic and social condition that involves individuals having limited or uncertain access to healthy food. Despite the well-intentioned efforts of both governmental and not-for-profit organizations in addressing food insecurity, well over one-in-ten households in the U.S., the wealthiest nation in the world, experience food insecurity every year. The objective of this literature review was to identify and explicate the methods and outcomes of food insecurity interventions that have been conducted among U.S. adults. This literature review identified 38 studies detailing several government programs and research interventions designed to address food insecurity. Results from the review highlight how the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and not-for-profit food banks have demonstrated success in improving food insecurity. However, the prevalence of food insecurity among U.S. households has fluctuated without any sustained decreases that achieve a food insecurity rate that remains below 10 percent of the population. Food waste, which refers to food that is edible yet discarded at the retail or consumption phases, is rampant in the U.S., as approximately 30 percent (66.5 million tons) of edible food is wasted after leaving the farm every year. Food waste prevention efforts that involve rescuing edible, nutritious food and redistributing it to individuals who are food insecure can promote both environmental wellbeing and public health through simultaneous reductions in food waste and food insecurity.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Grocery Shopping Factors of Importance among Food-Insecure African Americans.

The objective of this study was to (1) assess via cross-sectional survey the prevalence of food insecurity among African Americans [AAs] after their most recent grocery shopping trip, and (2) examine the grocery shopping factors of importance and characteristics of food-insecure AA grocery shoppers. Most (70.4%) were food-insecure. Food-insecure grocery shoppers were significantly more likely to be younger, less educated, who often skipped meals and/or practiced fasting, accessed a food pantry, were SNAP recipients, were considered to not be in "good" health, and who had higher BMI compared to food-secure shoppers (p ≤ 0.03 * for all). Our data showed that AAs shopped for groceries a mean 2.20 ± 1.29 times per week, for low prices (72.1%), without a weekly budget (58.9%), with a grocery list (44.6%) or using an app (27.6%), for high-quality vegetables (27.5%), for good customer service (22.9%), for store brands (20.8%) and name brands (17.9%).Food-insecure shoppers were significantly more likely to grocery shop more times per week, have a weekly budget, and use an app, but were significantly less likely to report store brands, name brands, good customer service, and high-quality vegetables as grocery factors of importance (p ≤ 0.03 * for all). Grocery strategies such as shopping with a grocery app and/or grocery list could help food-insecure AAs reduce grocery trips, promote meal planning to save money, and avoid skipping meals/fasting, while eating healthier.

Smart Little Campus Food Pantries: Addressing food insecurity at Virginia Commonwealth University

Food insecurity among college students is an emerging public health issue, affecting a considera­ble proportion of the student population nation­wide, approximately 35–45%. Research is discover­ing links between college student food insecurity and physical and mental health, as well as academic performance. Such high prevalence of student food insecurity highlights the urgency of addressing the lack of consistent access to nutritious food. This research examines a pilot intervention at an urban public university that deployed miniature food pan­tries across campus from which anyone could take food anonymously. The research team systemati­cally restocked these pantries with food on a weekly basis for nearly two school years. Sensors installed in the pantries collected instances when individuals “interacted” with the pantry’s door. The sensor system documented thousands of interac­tions with the pantries each school year. As such, the intervention can be considered a success. How­ever, the miniature pantry model was not without flaws: its decentralized nature created challenges for the research team, the sensor system was often unstable, and heavy reliance on undergraduate stu­dents proved a long-term problem. The research team believes that administrative and information technology improvements could further enhance the model’s ability to mitigate campus food insecu­rity. This intervention could be an inspiration to other campuses and other institutions considering similar strategies.

Prevalence of Low or Very Low Food Security in Undergraduate Nursing Students.

Food insecurity occurs when there is a lack of resources to obtain food. This study sought to identify the prevalence of food insecurity in baccalaureate nursing students. Data on demographics, perceived stress, food security, and food access were collected using a survey from 201 baccalaureate nursing students. Nearly 43 percent of students reported food insecurity within the last year. Students reporting food insecurity reported higher levels of perceived stress (p < .01). Findings support that food insecurity is prevalent in nursing students. An increase in awareness, assessment, and efforts to provide early interventions should be considered.

Pacific Islands Families Study: Food insecurity during pregnancy and secondary school educational achievement

The nutritional environment in early life is a key factor for brain development and function. It is important to understand the relationship between early life nutrition and academic achievement in adolescence. The Pacific Islands families (PIF) birth cohort(1) were born in the year 2000. When their child was 6 weeks old mothers were asked questions concerning food security over the last year. Two binary measures of food security were derived as previously used in PIF and also by the Ministry of Health (MOH). Records of academic achievement for 649 youth were obtained from the National Certificate of Educational Achievement database in 2019. Highest qualifications and a composite ranking score allowed achievement to be assessed at levels 1, 2 and 3 of NCEA and for University Entrance (UE, lowest to highest). More females (27%) than males (18%) achieved UE as their highest qualification and more males (40%) than females (31%) achieved level 1 or 2 as their highest qualification. UE was achieved by 25% of those born into food secure households and 17% from food insecure households. Logistic regression demonstrated that being female increased the odds of achieving UE 1.8 fold and food security a further 1.6 fold. The prevalence of food insecurity was not different by sex but high at 29% and 42% using the PIF and MOH measure of food insecurity respectively. This work emphasises the importance of maternal and early life food security for subsequent academic achievement and the well-being of future generations.

Bidirectional Relationship Between Sickle Cell Disease and Food Insecurity: Scoping Review.

In the United States, sickle cell disease (SCD)-the homozygous inheritance of a point mutation within the beta-globin chain of hemoglobin-affects between 80,000 and 100,000 people. Adequate nutrition can influence the pathophysiology of SCD, and individuals with SCD who are undernourished are more likely to have impaired immune function and disease exacerbation. Undernourishment is often caused by food insecurity (FI), which is defined as "a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food" by the USDA. FI disproportionately affects African Americans, a population disproportionately affected by SCD in the United States. We performed a scoping review to better understand the relationship between FI and SCD severity. A comprehensive search for peer-reviewed research articles and meeting abstracts was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Selected studies were reviewed for descriptive analysis by three independent reviewers. In total, 72 studies were identified, 62 were excluded for meeting inclusion criteria. The remaining 10 studies, 5 of which were meeting abstracts, were reviewed. Although limited evidence is available, the results of this scoping review suggest a bidirectional relationship between SCD and FI. Seven key themes were identified to help elucidate this relationship: 1) prevalence of FI among individuals with SCD, 2) child versus caregiver experiences of FI, 3) psychosocial factors, 4) food assistance benefits, 5) dietary intake, 6) external spending, 7) healthcare utilization. Findings from this scoping review suggest how SCD and FI work in tandem to exacerbate each other. Furthermore, the findings illustrate current gaps in the literature and opportunities for actions to address FI among individuals living with SCD.

Understanding Food Insecurity Among Collegiate Athletes: A Qualitative Study at a Public University in New England.

Authors of previous research at a public university in New England, where the current study takes place, showed that approximately one-third of undergraduate students have experienced some aspect of food insecurity. More recent investigators at this university revealed that students who were members of a sport team were 4 times more likely to be food insecure than their peers who were not on a sport team. The estimated prevalence of student-athlete food insecurity from other previous research studies ranged from 14% to 32%. To understand the contributing factors to food insecurity among collegiate athletes. Qualitative study. A public university in New England. Data are presented for 10 collegiate athletes who experienced some level of food insecurity according to the United States Department of Agriculture Six-Item Short Form. Data were collected using a brief demographic questionnaire and semistructured interviews. Contributing factors were a lack of time, special dietary needs, limited campus dining options, and limited access to transportation or kitchens. Coping strategies were managing time and resources, buying cheaper foods, and skipping meals. Food insecurity negatively affected students' athletic performance. The athletes struggled to balance their athletic and academic schedules and obtain a diet that allowed them to meet their performance goals. Additional and innovative programming is needed to support food-insecure student-athletes.

Food insecurity in urban American Indian and Alaska Native populations during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundFood insecurity is an important social determinant of health that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Both food insecurity and COVID-19 infection disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minority groups, particularly American Indian and Alaska Native communities; however, there is little evidence as to whether food insecurity is associated with COVID-19 infection or COVID-19 preventive behaviors such as vaccination uptake. The purpose of this study was to evaluate associations between food insecurity, COVID-19 infection, and vaccination status among urban American Indian and Alaska Native adults seen at 5 clinics serving urban Native people.MethodsIn partnership with health organizations in Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, and New Mexico, the study team conducted a cross-sectional survey in 2021 to assess food security status and attitudes, barriers, and facilitators for COVID-19 testing and vaccination. Logistic regression was used to examine the association of food security status with sociodemographic factors and COVID-19 infection and vaccination status. Marginal standardization was applied to present results as prevalence differences.ResultsAmong 730 American Indian and Alaska Native adults, the prevalence of food insecurity measured during the pandemic was 38%. For participants who reported persistent food security status before and during the pandemic (n = 588), the prevalence of food insecurity was 25%. Prevalence of COVID-19 infection and vaccination did not vary by food security status after adjustment for confounders.ConclusionsHigh rates of food insecurity among American Indian and Alaska Native communities likely increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite the high prevalence of food insecurity, community-led efforts to reduce COVID-19 infection and increase vaccination uptake across Indian Health Service and Tribal healthcare facilities may have mitigated the negative impacts of the pandemic for families experiencing food insecurity. These successful approaches serve as an important reference for future public health efforts that require innovative strategies to improve overall health in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

Food Insecurity Prevalence and Risk Factors at a Large Academic Medical Center in Michigan

Health care systems are increasingly adopting methods to screen for and integrate food insecurity and other social risk factors into electronic health records. However, there remain knowledge gaps regarding the cumulative burden of food insecurity in large clinical settings, which patients are most at risk, and the extent to which patients are interested in social assistance through their health care system. To evaluate the 5-year prevalence and associated risk factors of food insecurity among adult primary care patients, and to examine factors associated with patients' interest in social assistance among those with food insecurity. This cross-sectional analysis of a retrospective cohort study took place at a tertiary care academic medical center (encompassing 20 primary care clinics) in Michigan. Participants included adult patients who completed screening for social risk factors between August 1, 2017, and August 1, 2022. Data analysis was performed from November 2022 to June 2023. Food insecurity was assessed using the Hunger Vital Sign. The primary outcome was patients' interest in social assistance, and associated factors were examined using multivariate logistic regression models, adjusting for patients' demographic and health characteristics. Over the 5-year period, 106 087 adult primary care patients (mean [SD] age, 52.9 [17.9] years; 61 343 women [57.8%]) completed the standardized social risk factors questionnaire and were included in the analysis. The overall prevalence of food insecurity was 4.2% (4498 patients), with monthly trends ranging from 1.5% (70 positive screens) in August 2018 to 5.0% (193 positive screens) in June 2022. Food insecurity was significantly higher among patients who were younger, female, non-Hispanic Black or Hispanic, unmarried or unpartnered, and with public health insurance. Food insecurity was significantly associated with a higher cumulative burden of social needs, including social isolation, medical care insecurity, medication nonadherence, housing instability, and lack of transportation. Only 20.6% of patients with food insecurity (927 patients) expressed interest in social assistance. Factors associated with interest in social assistance including being non-Hispanic Black, unmarried or unpartnered, a current smoker, and having a higher burden of other social needs. In this retrospective cohort study, the overall prevalence of food insecurity was 4.2%, of whom approximately 1 in 5 patients with food insecurity expressed interest in assistance. This study highlights ongoing challenges in ensuring all patients complete routine social determinants of health screening and gaps in patients' interest in assistance for food insecurity and other social needs through their health care system.

Examining prevalence and predictors of food insecurity for transition-age youth transitioning out of foster care

ABSTRACT Transition-age youth with foster care involvement (TAY) face significant risks for food insecurity and other hardships in early adulthood. Using representative survey data of youth transitioning out of foster care in California, we examine the prevalence and predictors of food insecurity. We find that about 30% of study participants were food insecure at ages 19, 21, and 23. We also identify multiple risk and protective factors associated with being food insecure, such as TAY’s sexual identity and receipt of public benefits. The results of our study offer life-stage-specific recommendations for policy and practice to address food insecurity among TAY.

Panel Conditioning Biases in the Current Population Survey’s Food Security Supplement

Abstract We estimate the extent to which the methodological problem called panel conditioning biases the federal government’s estimates of the prevalence of food insecurity in the United States. To do so, we use 2002 through 2020 data from the Current Population Survey’s Food Security Supplement—the same data used to produce the federal government’s annual statistics about food insecurity. We take advantage of the CPS’s rotating panel design feature to estimate the effects of panel conditioning. By comparing CPS respondents who participated in the Food Security Supplement in each of two consecutive years but who—strictly by chance—were selected to begin the CPS one year apart, we both approximate an experimental design and derive estimates of panel conditioning that are purged of biases from panel attrition. For the 200,000+ unique households in our sample, the treatment is having previously participated in the Food Security Supplement; the outcome is participants’ subsequent responses to survey questions about food security. We find that in nearly every year people in the treatment group—that is, the group of people who have previously responded to the Food Security Supplement—are less likely to be food insecure than people responding for the first time. These differences are statistically significant and large in magnitude. We conclude that the federal government’s estimates of the prevalence of food insecurity in America are substantially biased; depending on the mechanism underlying panel conditioning, the true prevalence of food insecurity may be substantially higher or lower than officially reported.

Abstract 1016: Food insecurity among patients with cancer in the US

Abstract Introduction: Food insecurity (FI) is common among cancer patients and can lead to decreased treatment adherence, worse quality of life, and increased recurrence and mortality. Although some studies suggest that patients with cancer are particularly susceptible to FI, these studies have been limited by their small sample size, narrow sampling of cancer types and stages, and limited geographic scope. To address this gap, this study leverages data from a supportive care organization to characterize FI prevalence and associated risk factors in a nationwide sample of patients with diverse types of cancer. Methods: This cross-sectional study included adults with cancer undergoing treatment referred to Family Reach, a national organization that provides financial support to cancer patients and their families, from 2020-2023. The primary outcome was FI, defined as a self-reported concern that the family would run out of food before getting enough money to buy more. Estimates of FI were provided for the cohort stratified by cancer type; multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of cancer type (primary independent variable) with FI, adjusted for oncologic and demographic covariates. Results: Of 6,615 patients with cancer, 62.9% reported FI. Across cancer types, FI prevalence ranged from 56% (brain) to 68% (gynecologic). FI did not vary significantly by cancer type on multivariable logistic regression adjusted for oncologic, geographic, and demographic factors (Table 1). A variety of demographic factors were associated with FI (Table 1). Table 1. Characteristics of Patients with Cancer With Food Insecurity Referred to Family Reach and Factors Associated with Food Insecurity Using Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis. Outcome N (%) aOR (95% CI) Outcome N (%) aOR (95% CI) Outcome N (%) aOR (95% CI) Cancer Type Age, y Region of US • Breast 1,348 (32.4) Ref - • 18-64 3,887 (93.3) Ref - • Pacific 465 (11.2) Ref - • Brain 118 (2.8) 0.84 (0.61 - 1.16) • ≥65 279 (6.7) 0.38 (0.3 - 0.48) • Mountain 246 (5.9) 0.94 (0.71 - 1.23) • Gastrointestinal 500 (12) 1.13 (0.92 - 1.38) Gender • West South Central 489 (11.7) 1.09 (0.87 - 1.38) • Genitourinary 115 (2.8) 1.1 (0.78 - 1.55) • Male 1,298 (31.2) Ref - • West North Central 213 (5.1) 1.09 (0.82 - 1.44) • Gynecologic 274 (6.6) 1.21 (0.95 - 1.54) • Female 2,859 (68.6) 1.04 (0.91 - 1.19) • East South Central 302 (7.2) 1.6 (1.21 - 2.13) • Head and Neck 82 (2) 1.08 (0.72 - 1.62) • Other 9 (0.2) 1.07 (0.25 - 4.6) • East North Central 466 (11.2) 1.02 (0.81 - 1.29) • Hematologic 958 (30) 0.95 (0.79 - 1.15) Race and Ethnicity • South Atlantic 941 (22.6) 1.14 (0.93 - 1.4) • Lung 247 (5.9) 0.99 (0.77 - 1.26) • Non-Hispanic White 1,725 (41.4) Ref - • Middle Atlantic 851 (20.4) 0.76 (0.62 - 0.94) • Melanoma/Sarcoma 200 (4.8) 0.97 (0.74 - 1.28) • Non-Hispanic Black 1,249 (30) 1.6 (1.4 - 1.83) • New England 193 (4.6) 1 (0.74 - 1.36) • Other 324 (7.8) 1 (0.79 - 1.25) • Hispanic White 832 (20) 1.63 (1.36 - 1.96) Preferred Language Stage • Asian or Pacific Islander 130 (3.1) 1.1 (0.82 - 1.49) • English 3,686 (88.5) Ref - • I 415 (10) Ref - Health Insurance • Spanish 328 (7.9) 1.69 (1.26 - 2.28) • II 652 (15.7) 1.01 (0.81 - 1.25) • Private/commercial 718 (17.2) Ref - • Other 61 (1.5) 1.26 (0.81 - 1.98) • III 814 (19.5) 1.11 (0.9 - 1.37) • Self-pay 240 (5.8) 2.35 (1.74 - 3.16) • IV 1,254 (30.1) 1.07 (0.87 - 1.32) • Medicaid 1,588 (38.1) 1.87 (1.62 - 2.16) • Not applicable 1,031 (24.7) 0.87 (0.69 - 1.08) • Medicare 536 (12.9) 2.23 (1.81 - 2.76) Relapsed • Medicare + Medicaid 122 (2.9) 2.98 (2.06 - 4.3) • Yes 631 (15.1) Ref - • Other 782 (18.8) 1.45 (1.23 - 1.7) • No 3,535 (84.9) 1.11 (0.95 - 1.29) Employment • Dual employment 1,343 (32.2) Ref - • Single employment 2,428 (58.3) 1.24 (1.1 - 1.38) • Dual unemployment 261 (6.3) 1.7 (1.31 - 2.21) Conclusion: Nearly two-thirds of patients with cancer served by a large national cancer support organization reported FI. FI was common across all types of cancer and was associated primarily with demographic characteristics. These FI prevalence and risk factor data can be used by researchers, clinicians, and community-based organizations to understand and address FI among patients with cancer. Citation Format: Alejandro R. Marrero-Gonzalez, Anna Crawford, Fitzgerald Draper, Andrea Incudine, Stacy Tessler Lindau, Evan M. Graboyes. Food insecurity among patients with cancer in the US [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 1016.

Using Natural Language Processing to Explore Social Media Opinions on Food Security: Sentiment Analysis and Topic Modeling Study.

Social media has the potential to be of great value in understanding patterns in public health using large-scale analysis approaches (eg, data science and natural language processing [NLP]), 2 of which have been used in public health: sentiment analysis and topic modeling; however, their use in the area of food security and public health nutrition is limited. This study aims to explore the potential use of NLP tools to gather insights from real-world social media data on the public health issue of food security. A search strategy for obtaining tweets was developed using food security terms. Tweets were collected using the Twitter application programming interface from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2021, filtered for Australia-based users only. Sentiment analysis of the tweets was performed using the Valence Aware Dictionary and Sentiment Reasoner. Topic modeling exploring the content of tweets was conducted using latent Dirichlet allocation with BigML (BigML, Inc). Sentiment, topic, and engagement (the sum of likes, retweets, quotations, and replies) were compared across years. In total, 38,070 tweets were collected from 14,880 Twitter users. Overall, the sentiment when discussing food security was positive, although this varied across the 3 years. Positive sentiment remained higher during the COVID-19 lockdown periods in Australia. The topic model contained 10 topics (in order from highest to lowest probability in the data set): "Global production," "Food insecurity and health," "Use of food banks," "Giving to food banks," "Family poverty," "Food relief provision," "Global food insecurity," "Climate change," "Australian food insecurity," and "Human rights." The topic "Giving to food banks," which focused on support and donation, had the highest proportion of positive sentiment, and "Global food insecurity," which covered food insecurity prevalence worldwide, had the highest proportion of negative sentiment. When compared with news, there were some events, such as COVID-19 support payment introduction and bushfires across Australia, that were associated with high periods of positive or negative sentiment. Topics related to food insecurity prevalence, poverty, and food relief in Australia were not consistently more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic than before the pandemic. Negative tweets received substantially higher engagement across 2019 and 2020. There was no clear relationship between topics that were more likely to be positive or negative and have higher or lower engagement, indicating that the identified topics are discrete issues. In this study, we demonstrated the potential use of sentiment analysis and topic modeling to explore evolution in conversations on food security using social media data. Future use of NLP in food security requires the context of and interpretation by public health experts and the use of broader data sets, with the potential to track dimensions or events related to food security to inform evidence-based decision-making in this area.

Prevalence of food insecurity and associated factors among refugee households in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement, Arua District, Uganda

Prevalence of food insecurity and associated factors among refugee households in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement, Arua District, Uganda

Food insecurity and associated health and social determinants among older adults in Ghana: Analysis of the WHO’s study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE), 2014–2015

This study was conducted to assess the prevalence and factors associated with Food Insecurity (FI) and further quantify its association with unmet need for health services and health-related outcomes among older adults aged 50 years and above in Ghana. The Ghana Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health was used. Body Mass Index (BMI), depressive episodes, functional difficulties (FD), low Quality of Life (QoL), memory decline, and Unmet Needs of Health Services (UNHS) are the the study outcomes. Ordinary Least Square, and Poisson regression analysis modified with Mahalanobis distance matching within propensity score caliper weights were employed. Stata 16.1 was used to perform analysis and a p-value < 0.05 was deemed significant. The prevalence of FI among older adults aged 50 years or older in Ghana was approximately 28 %(95 %CI = 24.5–31.7) and was strongly associated with lower educational attainment and social support. The prevalence ratio of depression, FD, low QoL and UNHS among older adults who experienced FI were; 3.43(95 %CI = 2.25–5.21), 1.18(95 %CI = 1.12–1.23), 2.01(95 %CI = 1.54–2.62), and 1.46(95 %CI = 1.01–2.11). Memory significantly decreased by 85 percentage points% among food insecure older adults [aβ(95 %CI) = −0.85(−1.62–−0.07)]. Older adults with relatively higher educational attainment and social support are less likely to suffer FI and associated limited health and poor social well-being. In the national quest to achieve SDG 2, these health and social determinants of FI among older adults should be considered in the implementation of the national ageing policy to improve the health and well-being of older adults in Ghana.