Food Sufficiency - Children in Arkansas

Arkansas

Access to sufficient food is crucial for maintaining proper nutrition and health, particularly during childhood. Children require consistent access to nutritious food to remain healthy throughout development and prevent diet-related chronic diseases in adulthood. Healthy eating patterns during childhood development vary by stage of life and can change with activity level. Access to nutritious and affordable foods can promote better eating habits and reduce the risk of developing chronic health conditions, including:

• High blood pressure and heart disease.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Cancer.
• Osteoporosis.
• Iron deficiency.
• Cavities.

The direct and indirect health-related costs of hunger and food insecurity in the United States were conservatively estimated at $160 billion in 2014. That estimate rises to roughly $179 billion after adding education-related costs, such as special education support and costs associated with school dropouts.

According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of food sufficiency is higher among: 

• Asian, white and multiracial children compared with Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native, Black and Hispanic children.
• Children with a caregiver who graduated from college compared with children whose caregivers have less education.
• Children with special health care needs.

The affordability of food and access to local food sources heavily influence nutrition.

In primary care settings, pediatricians can use screening tools to identify food insecurity (the lack of consistent access to enough nutritious food) in households with children. Educating medical students and residents about food insecurity may also be beneficial.

Studies show that food assistance programs, including the School Breakfast Program (SBP), the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), can improve food security among children. Recommended improvements to these food assistance programs include:

• Expanding SNAP benefits. 
• Connecting more children from underserved communities to the programs. 
• Improving the nutritional quality of the programs through science-based standards and guidelines. 

The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends Healthy School Meals for All to increase participation in SBP and NSLP, improve diet quality, reduce school absenteeism and promote overall health and well-being among students. This program offers free breakfast and lunch to all students in qualifying schools, regardless of household income. 

The child tax credit has also reduced food insufficiency in households with children. Studies indicate that the child tax credit is associated with a greater reduction in food insufficiency for families experiencing economic shocks, such as job loss or illness.

Additionally, community agriculture initiatives can improve diets and food security in low-income areas. Collaboration between local farmers and community members in the food production process leads to healthier lifestyles, reliable access to nutritious food, and reduced grocery expenses.

Healthy People 2030 has a goal to eliminate very low food security in children.

Cook, John, and Karen Jeng. Child Food Insecurity: The Economic Impact on Our Nation. Chicago, IL: Feeding America, 2009. https://www.nokidhungry.org/sites/default/files/child-economy-study.pdf.

Gitterman, Benjamin A., Lance A. Chilton, William H. Cotton, James H. Duffee, Patricia Flanagan, Virginia A. Keane, Scott D. Krugman, et al. “Promoting Food Security for All Children.” Pediatrics 136, no. 5 (November 1, 2015): e1431–38. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-3301.

Hanson, Bayli, Roslynn Brain McCann, and Sean Damitz. Community Agriculture: Concepts, Models, and Impacts. Utah State University Department of Environment and Society and Utah Conservation Corps, n.d. https://extension.usu.edu/sustainability/files/community-ag-FINAL.pdf.

Hartline-Grafton, Heather, and Sandra G. Hassink. “Food Insecurity and Health: Practices and Policies to Address Food Insecurity among Children.” Academic Pediatrics, July 2020, S1876285920304265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2020.07.006.

Huang, Jin, and Ellen Barnidge. “Low-Income Children’s Participation in the National School Lunch Program and Household Food Insufficiency.” Social Science & Medicine 150 (February 1, 2016): 8–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.12.020.

Kreider, Brent, John V. Pepper, and Manan Roy. Identifying the Effect of WIC on Very Low Food Security among Infants and Children. University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series, DP2012-11. University of Kentucky Center for Poverty, October 2012. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1027&context=ukcpr_papers.

McCann, Nicole C., Lorraine T. Dean, Allison Bovell-Ammon, Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba, Tiffany Green, Paul R. Shafer, and Julia Raifman. “Association between Child Tax Credit Advance Payments and Food Insufficiency in Households Experiencing Economic Shocks.” Health Affairs Scholar 2, no. 2 (February 1, 2024): qxae011. https://doi.org/10.1093/haschl/qxae011.

Ratcliffe, Caroline, Signe-Mary McKernan, and Sisi Zhang. “How Much Does the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Reduce Food Insecurity?” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 93, no. 4 (July 2011): 1082–98. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajae/aar026.

Rea, Samantha, Jay Jarodiya, Madeline Berschback, and Diane Levine. “Improving Food Insecurity Education in Medical School Through Integrative Service Learning.” Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development 9 (January 2022): 238212052210962. https://doi.org/10.1177/23821205221096286.

The Nourishing Effect: Ending Hunger, Improving Health, Reducing Inequality (2016 Hunger Report). Washington, D.C.: Bread for the World Institute, 2015. http://hungerreport.org/2016/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/HR2016-Full-Report-Web.pdf.

U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, December 2020. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf.