In Cincinnati, 33% of families suffer from food insecurity – higher than the national average of 20.6% in 2011, despite the fact that 93% of those food insecure families in Cincinnati received food-related governmental assistance through programs such as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program and the National School Lunch Program.
According to a study conducted by researchers from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, “childhood food insecurity has been associated with negative health outcomes including more frequent illnesses, iron-deficiency anemia, overweight or obese status, increased likelihood of hospitalization, increased risk of developmental delays, and lower physical and psychosocial functioning.”
The same study also looked at likely causes for the increased rate of hunger in the Cincinnati area. The researchers found that food insecure families often rely on cheaper, energy dense foods instead of fresh fruits and vegetables due to financial difficulties. The study also noted that food insecure families were more likely to purchase food from a convenience or corner store or get food from a food bank than to shop at a supermarket. In addition, many of those families had difficulty in finding transportation to get to the supermarket and had to rely on public transportation, transportation from others, taxis, or walking. This dependency on public transportation or getting a ride from others means that food insecure families aren’t able to choose when and where they would like to shop for food. Furthermore, purchasing food was often not prioritized as food insecure families were forced to choose between paying rent or mortgage, utilities, transportation costs, or phone service, and purchasing food. During the cold winter months, low-income, food insecure families find it necessary to reduce the amount of money spent on food in order to increase expenditures on fuel to heat their houses with (DeMartini et al.).
You can view a PDF version of this study, originally published in the Journal of Community Health, by clicking here.
Hunger in Cincinnati 