(P20-042-24) Impact of Food Insecurity and Community and Federal Food Assistance Program Usage on Experiencing a Negative Health Condition Among Latinx Individuals in the NC High Country

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of food insecurity (FI) and community and federal food assistance program (FAP) usage on experiencing a health condition.

Methods: Latinx participants were recruited through community outreach and data were collected between January-September 2023. The survey included 24 mental and physical health conditions guided by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid’s list of chronic conditions. The responses were combined into one binary variable as experiencing no symptoms of chronic disease (0) and those experiencing symptoms of one or more health conditions (1). FI was measured by the 10-item USDA Adult Food Security Survey Module. Twenty FAP’s were listed to assess if participants were currently using the program. Federal and state programs were summed for a continuous score between 0 and 8, with higher scores indicating increased usage. All other programs were summed for a score between 0 and 13 as community FAPs. Two logistic regression models were run to identify independent factors for occurrence of at least one disease symptom, with the second model controlling for income and health insurance.

Results: A majority of the sample (77.2%) experienced symptoms of at least one health condition. Almost half (46.5%) experienced FI and utilized on average 1.04 (SD 1.53) federal FAPs and 0.87 (SD 2.05) community FAPs. Participants with FI had a 236% increase in the odds of experiencing a negative health condition compared to those who were food secure (OR 3.36, 95% CI: 1.24-9.10). The use of federal or community FAPs did not statistically change the odds of health. When adjusted for health insurance and income, FI remained a significant predictor of experiencing at least one health condition (AOR 3.64, 95% CI: 1.17-11.36).

Conclusions: Heightened rates of FI were displayed among Latinx individuals in the NC High Country and chronic disease was present. FI increased the likelihood of experiencing poor health. Participation in FAPs was not found to be protective against experiencing a negative health outcome but overall use of FAPs was low. Therefore, future efforts are needed to help Latinx communities overcome barriers to FAPs to help alleviate the burden from FI.

Funding Sources: Scholarship for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Grant, Office of Research, Appalachian State University