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Food insecurity and disasters: predicting disparities in total and first-time food pantry visits during the COVID-19 pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Alexandria J. Drake

    (Arizona State University)

  • Lora A. Phillips

    (Arizona State University)

  • Brajesh Karna

    (Arizona State University)

  • Shakthi Bharathi Murugesan

    (Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc)

  • Lily K. Villa

    (Arizona State University)

  • Nathan A. Smith

    (Phoenix Rescue Mission)

Abstract

In the U.S. state of Arizona, nearly one-third of households experienced food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase from one-fourth of households before the pandemic. Previous research on food insecurity in the wake of natural and human-instigated disasters demonstrates that groups vulnerable to food insecurity before a disaster are more susceptible to food insecurity during and after that disaster; however, less is known about whether this relationship also holds true during health-related disasters, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We explore how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced urban food insecurity patterns by analyzing the socio-demographic characteristics of food pantry clients in Maricopa County, Arizona. Using data from Phoenix Rescue Mission (PRM), a local non-profit food service provider, two binomial logistic regression models compare the socio-demographic composition of total and first-time food pantry users before and during the pandemic. In addition to an overall increase in food pantry usage during the pandemic, we find that, while certain socio-demographic groups historically vulnerable to food insecurity experienced the predicted uptick in insecurity during the pandemic, other socio-demographic disparities were attenuated. These somewhat disparate findings illustrate the complex relationship between disasters and food insecurity in an urban context, offering several avenues for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:15:y:2023:i:2:d:10.1007_s12571-022-01336-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-022-01336-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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