TY - JOUR PY - 2014// TI - Childhood food insecurity in the U.S.: trends, causes, and policy options JO - Future of children A1 - Gundersen, Craig A1 - Ziliak, James P. SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - In 2012, nearly 16 million U.S. children, or over one in five, lived in households that were food-insecure, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines as "a household-level economic and social condition of limited access to food." Even when we control for the effects of other factors correlated with poverty, these children are more likely than others to face a host of health problems, including but not limited to anemia, lower nutrient intake, cognitive problems, higher levels of aggression and anxiety, poorer general health, poorer oral health, and a higher risk of being hospitalized, having asthma, having some birth defects, or experiencing behavioral problems. Food insecurity has been researched extensively, and this research has helped policy makers and program administrators better address the problem. However, relatively little research has looked at what causes food insecurity among children in the first place, or the effectiveness of public policies, especially on more severe forms of food hardship. In this policy report, Gundersen and Ziliak highlight new research that seeks to fill this gap.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1054-8289 UR - http://dx.doi.org/ ID - ref1 ER -