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Food insecurity in the United States of America: an examination of race/ethnicity and nativity

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  • Ana McCormick Myers

    (University of Wyoming)

  • Matthew A. Painter

    (University of Wyoming)

Abstract

Food insecurity is a persistent problem in the United States and is disproportionately distributed across racial/ethnic groups, with some evidence that non-Latino blacks and Latinos experience higher rates than non-Latino whites. But no nationally-representative study examines how race/ethnicity affects food insecurity for immigrants in the United States. Using new assimilation theory and the 1999–2010 waves (N = 32,464) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), this study investigated the relationship between food insecurity and both race/ethnicity and nativity status. Results, when socioeconomic status is held constant, provide evidence for a nonwhite/white divide in food insecurity for both immigrants and the native-born. That is, blacks and Latinos – regardless of nativity status – are significantly more food insecure than both foreign- and native-born whites. These results provide insight into a continuing pattern of racial/ethnic inequality in the United States.

Suggested Citation

  • Ana McCormick Myers & Matthew A. Painter, 2017. "Food insecurity in the United States of America: an examination of race/ethnicity and nativity," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(6), pages 1419-1432, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:9:y:2017:i:6:d:10.1007_s12571-017-0733-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-017-0733-8
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    Cited by:

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    3. Violeta Alarcão & Sofia Guiomar & Andreia Oliveira & Milton Severo & Daniela Correia & Duarte Torres & Carla Lopes, 2020. "Food insecurity and social determinants of health among immigrants and natives in Portugal," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(3), pages 579-589, June.
    4. Michael F. Royer & Christopher Wharton, 2023. "The Design and Testing of a Text Message for Use as an Informational Nudge in a Novel Food Insecurity Intervention," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-13, October.
    5. Lauren H. Sweeney & Kaley Carman & Elder G. Varela & Lisa A. House & Karla P. Shelnutt, 2021. "Cooking, Shopping, and Eating Behaviors of African American and Hispanic Families: Implications for a Culturally Appropriate Meal Kit Intervention," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-10, September.
    6. Alexandria J. Drake & Lora A. Phillips & Brajesh Karna & Shakthi Bharathi Murugesan & Lily K. Villa & Nathan A. Smith, 2023. "Food insecurity and disasters: predicting disparities in total and first-time food pantry visits during the COVID-19 pandemic," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(2), pages 493-504, April.
    7. Courtney A. Parks & Amber Bastian & Rebecca Lindberg & Fiona H. McKay & Paige Pligt & Amy L. Yaroch, 2022. "Food insecurity among parents of young children in the United States and Australia: focusing on etiology and outcomes," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(6), pages 1499-1502, December.
    8. Jennifer Sowerwine & Megan Mucioki & Daniel Sarna-Wojcicki & Lisa Hillman, 2019. "Reframing food security by and for Native American communities: a case study among tribes in the Klamath River basin of Oregon and California," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(3), pages 579-607, June.
    9. Joshua Berning & Alessandro Bonanno & Rebecca Cleary, 2024. "Disparities in food insecurity among Black and White households: An analysis by age cohort, poverty, education, and home ownership," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 46(1), pages 234-254, March.

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