Food Insecurity in Oregon

1
Food Insecurity in Oregon

• Stephanie Bernell
• Mark Edwards
• Bruce Weber
• Oregon State University
• Oregon Progress Board
• January 18, 2005

2
Hunger in US and OR 1996-2003
indicates that difference between Oregon rate
and that of the U.S. is statistically
significant at .05 level Source Current
Population Survey
3
Food Insecurity and Hunger

• A household is food insecure if it is
  uncertain of having, or being able to acquire,
  enough food to meet basic needs of all household
  members because they had insufficient money and
  other resources for food
• A household is food insecure with hunger
  hungry if one or more household members were
  hungry, at least at some time during the year,
  because they couldnt afford enough food
• Source Nord et. al. 2002, p. 3

4
Food Insecurity in US and OR
indicates that difference between Oregon rate
and that of the U.S. is statistically
significant at .05 level Source Current
Population Survey
5
Food insecurity

• Households classified as food insecure almost
  certainly said that sometimes or often in the
  previous 12 months both
• their food didnt last and they didnt have
  money to get more
• and they couldnt afford to eat balanced meals
• Higher levels of food insecurity were indicated
  by those who said they cut the size of their
  meals, ate less than they felt they should or
  were hungry

6
Vulnerable groups with high food insecurity rates

• indicates that difference between Oregon rate and
  that of other states is statistically significant
  at .05 level
• Source Current Population Survey 1999, 2001

7
Vulnerable groups with higher food insecurity
rates in Oregon

• indicates that difference between Oregon rate and
  that of other states is statistically significant
  at .05 level
• Source Current Population Survey 1999, 2001

8
Less Vulnerable Groups with higher food
insecurity rates in Oregon?

• indicates that difference between Oregon rate and
  that of other states is statistically significant
  at .05 level
• Source Current Population Survey 1999, 2001

9
What Are Possible Causes of Food Insecurity in
Oregon?

• Personal choices about work, school, marriage and
  childbearing, moving
• Local economic context
• Local economic opportunities wage levels, job
  availability (unemployment rates)
• Local housing costs
• Social policy implementation (food stamps and
  free lunch usage rates)
• Social supports (attachment to community)

10
OSU study Explaining Household Food Insecurity

• Explains likelihood of an individual household
  being food insecure as a function of household
  demographics, local contextual factors and food
  security policy (Logistic regression)
• 2000 Oregon Population Survey 4725 households
  headed by individuals 18 years or over who
  answered the 6-question food security module
• Local contextual and food security policy data
  from U.S.Census, Bureau of Economic Analysis,
  Oregon Employment Department and Oregon
  Department of Human Services

11
Preliminary FindingsDemographic Characteristics

• Demographic characteristics and past life
  decisions affect food insecurity
• Blacks and the disabled are more likely and
  those over 65 are less likely to be food
  insecure (controlling for other factors)
• Single mother households and those who have
  recently moved are more likely and college
  graduates are less likely to be food insecure
  (controlling for other factors)
• But household demographics are not the primary
  factors affecting food insecurity in Oregon
• Bartfield and Dunifon (2003) suggest that in
  Oregon household demographics are less important
  in explaining food insecurity than contextual
  factors.

12
Preliminary FindingsLocal Economy Social
Policy

• Household food insecurity is lower where local
  wage rates are higher and unemployment rates
  lower
• Local housing costs matter for low income
  households food insecurity among low income
  households is higher in high rent counties
• Social policy matters (food insecurity is lower
  where local food stamp usage rates are higher)
• Food insecurity is lower in rural areas (may
  suggest social support networks are important)

13
For more information

• Mark Edwards and Bruce Weber, Food Insecurity and
  Hunger in Oregon A New Look, Working Paper
  03-01, Department of Agricultural and Resource
  Economics, Oregon State University, November 2003
• http//arec.oregonstate.edu/ruralstudies/publicati
  ons.htm
• Stephanie Bernell, Bruce Weber, and Mark Edwards,
  Restricted Opportunities, Poor Personal Choices,
  Ineffective Policy? What Explains Food Insecurity
  in Oregon? (forthcoming)