Sức khỏe

A worsening health condition or sudden medical emergency can set off a chain reaction which reinforces food insecurity – as medical expenses climb and hourly workers lose wages, exacerbating their financial insecurity and that of their employers.

Food Insecurity Perpetuated by Lack of Healthcare Access.

Families experiencing food insecurity face a higher risk of poor health outcomes, including a greater prevalence of chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

These families frequently live in neighborhoods with fewer health care resources, face greater exposure to environmental health hazards, and work in jobs without health insurance or paid sick leave.

Photo of neighbor at a school market with fresh produce

The Price of Poor Nutrition

0T
Annual total health spending
0%
of this spending is on diet-related conditions
0M
do not have access to healthy food sources

The Cycle

Food Insecurity: Limited access to nutritious food. Lack of health insurance. Effect: Nutritional deficiences. Delayed care due to cost. Poor Health: Increased risk of chronic illness. Delayed care and complications. Effect: Medical cost leaves us less money for food. Missed work cuts income.

The Spiral

Start: Limited access to nutritious food and missed medical appointments due to out of pocket costs. As health declines, emergency care becomes the only option, pushing families deeper into financial stress. End: Chronic conditions worsen, income decreases, and food insecurity deepens.

Tiếng nói của người hàng xóm

“With access to nutritious foods… I was able to focus more on my health and less on financial stress. It has not only helped me manage my chronic health conditions, like blood pressure, but also allowed me to share healthy meals with others, fostering a sense of community.”

Access to Health Care Makes Food Security Possible

Food Insecurity Harms Health:

Families experiencing food insecurity face a higher risk of poor health outcomes, including a greater prevalence of chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. These families frequently live in neighborhoods with fewer health care resources, face greater exposure to environmental health hazards, and work in jobs without access to health insurance or paid sick leave.

Our Work Food for Change 5

Low Access, High Exposure:

A worsening health condition or a sudden medical emergency can set off a chain reaction which reinforces food insecurity – as medical expenses climb and hourly workers lose wages, worsening their financial insecurity and that of their employers.

Texas’ Dual Health Challenge:

Texas has some of the highest rates of food insecurity paired with some of the highest rates of uninsured individuals and diet-related diseases. Nearly 5 million Texans — double the national average — lack health insurance, and over 2 million Texas households are food insecure. These combined challenges lead to a cycle of worsening health and financial strain.

Lộ trình chính sách

Partnerships with Health Plans and Nonprofits

Food is Medicine programs like Medically Tailored Meals and Food Prescription are proven to reduce hospital visits, lower health care costs, and improve overall quality of life by pairing nutritious food with health. For these programs to succeed, they require sustainable funding mechanisms and incentives for insurers to ensure broader adoption and impact.

Promote Access to Preventative and Affordable Health Care

Các chính sách hỗ trợ việc bảo vệ người thuê nhà, chẳng hạn như các tiêu chuẩn về lý do chính đáng để trục xuất, quyền được tư vấn pháp lý trong các vụ kiện trục xuất, việc ổn định mức tiền thuê nhà ở mức hợp lý và việc xóa hồ sơ các vụ kiện trục xuất đã bị bác bỏ, là những biện pháp nhằm giúp các gia đình duy trì chỗ ở và đảm bảo nguồn thu nhập ổn định cho chủ nhà.

Support Nutritious Food Access

Creating opportunities for greater access to nutritious food is essential for improving public health. This includes supporting programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and capacity building programs for farmers whose food can support the community in which it is grown.

Nguồn

  1. National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. (2024). Food Accessibility, Insecurity, and Health Outcomes. https://www.nimhd.nih.gov/resources/understanding-health-disparities/food-accessibility-insecurity-and-health-outcomes.html
  2. Gregory, C. A., & Coleman-Jensen, A. (2017). Food insecurity, chronic disease, and health among working-age adults (Economic Research ReportNo. 235). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/84467/err-235.pdf?v=4205.2
  3. Sonik, R. A. (2019). Health insurance and food insecurity: Sparking a potential virtuous cycle. American Journal of Public Health, 109(9), 1163–1165. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305252
  4. Dean, E. B., French, M. T., & Mortensen, K. (2020). Food insecurity, health care utilization, and health care expenditures. Health Services Research,55(Suppl 2), 883–893. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.13283
  5. Hanson, K. L., & Connor, L. M. (2014). Food insecurity and dietary quality in US adults and children: A systematic review. The American Journal ofClinical Nutrition, 100(2), 684–692. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.114.084525
  6. Sun, Y., Liu, B., Rong, S., Du, Y., Xu, G., Snetselaar, L. G., Wallace, R. B., & Bao, W. (2020). Food insecurity is associated with cardiovascular andall‐cause mortality among adults in the United States. Journal of the American Heart Association, 9(19), e014629. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.119.014629
  7. Himmelstein, D. U., Dickman, S. L., McCormick, D., Bor, D. H., Gaffney, A., & Woolhandler, S. (2022). Prevalence and risk factors for medical debtand subsequent changes in social determinants of health in the US. JAMA Network Open, 5(9), e2231898. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.31898
  8. Boone-Heinonen, J., Evenson, K. R., Song, Y., & Gordon-Larsen, P. (2010). Built and socioeconomic environments: Patterns and associations withphysical activity in US adolescents. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 7(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-7-45
  9. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022). National health care spending in 2021: Decline in federal spending outweighs greater use of healthcare. Health Affairs. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2022.01397
  10. Texas Health and Human Services. (2023). Data Brief: Food insecurity in Texas and Texas Legislative Districts. https://sph.uth.edu/research/centers/dell/legislative-initiatives/data-brief-food-insecurity-in-texas-and-texas-legislative-districts
  11. U.S. Census Bureau. (2022). American Community Survey 1-year Estimates. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  12. Rabbitt, M. P., Reed-Jones, M., Hales, L. J., & Burke, M. P. (2024). Household food security in the United States in 2023 (Report No. ERR-337). U.S.Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. https://doi.org/10.32747/2024.8583175.ers
  13. Berkowitz, S. A., Seligman, H. K., & Choudhry, N. K. (2014). Treat or eat: Food insecurity, cost-related medication underuse, and unmet needs. TheAmerican Journal of Medicine, 127(4), 303-310.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2014.01.002
  14. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. (n.d.). Credit Reports and Credit Scores. https://www.federalreserve.gov/creditreports/pdf/credit_reports_scores_2.pdf
  15. National Association of Professional Background Screeners & HR.com. (2017). National Survey: Employers Universally Using BackgroundScreenings to Protect Employees, Customers and the Public. https://www.napbs.com/background-screening-research-2017.pdf
  16. The Aspen Institute. (2018). Consumer Debt: A Primer. https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/consumer-debt-primer/
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