Food Insecurity Increases in San Bernardino County
Food insecurity is not having consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. It reflects both the quantity and quality of food in a household, as people may decide to go without food or purchase less expensive food, which may be less healthy. Food insecurity can also cause increased stress, requiring families to choose between food and other essentials such as housing, utilities, transportation, and medical care. People who are food insecure are disproportionally affected by diet-sensitive chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. And, according to research, food insecurity is linked to many adverse effects on overall health.[1] For children, research shows an association between food insecurity and delayed development in young children; higher risk of chronic illnesses like asthma and anemia; and behavioral problems like hyperactivity, anxiety, and aggression in school-age children.[2] This indicator reports data from the national annual food security survey, including both low food security (reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet) and very low food security (food intake is reduced and normal eating patterns are disrupted because the household lacks money and other resources for food).
TREND
Food insecurity in the Riverside-San Bernardino metro area has been on an upward trend since 2019, when the region experienced a marked increase in the percent of households experiencing food insecurity. Between 2018 and 2019 the percentage of Riverside-San Bernardino households that were food insecure jumped from 9.8% to 13.4% and has continued to increase since then, reaching 15.7% in 2021. The increase in the prevalence of food insecurity in the Riverside-San Bernardino metro area has been driven largely by an increase in the share of households with low food security, while the percentage of families with very low food security stayed roughly the same.
METRO REGION FOOD INSECURITY INCREASED IN 2021
Percent of Residents Experiencing Low and Very Low Food Security in Riverside-San Bernardino, California, and the United States, 2017-2021
Note: Totals for Food Insecure may exceed values for Low and Very Low Food Security due to rounding.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Food Security Supplement
GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
In 2021, the Riverside-San Bernardino metro area had a markedly higher level of food insecurity than the state and nation, continuing a trend that began in 2019. Over the past five years, while food insecurity has generally been decreasing across the state and nation, the Riverside-San Bernardino metro area has seen a significant increase, reaching its highest rate in 2021.
What is it like in a household with very low food security?
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture 2021 Food Security Survey, households with very low food insecurity reported experiencing the following conditions (national data):
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98% reported having worried that their food would run out before they got money to buy more.
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97% reported that the food they bought just did not last, and they did not have money to get more.
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94% reported that they could not afford to eat balanced meals.
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95% reported that an adult had cut the size of meals or skipped meals because there was not enough money for food; 87% reported that this had occurred in 3 or more months of the year.
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67% of respondents reported that they had been hungry but did not eat because they could not afford enough food.
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32% reported that an adult did not eat for a whole day because there was not enough money for food; 24% reported that this had occurred in 3 or more months of the year.
[1] Gregory, C. and Coleman-Jensen, A. (2017). Food Insecurity, Chronic Disease, and Health Among Working-Age Adults. [online] United States Department of Agriculture. Available at: https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/84467/err-235_summary.pdf?v=0 [Accessed 13 Nov. 2019].
[2] Cook, J. and Jeng, K. (2009). Child Food Insecurity: The Economic Impact on our Nation. [online] Nokidhungry.org. Available at: https://www.nokidhungry.org/sites/default/files/child-economy-study.pdf [Accessed 13 Nov. 2019].