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Community and Public Health Nutrition (Poster Session)

(P20-064-24) Gender Disparities and Food Security Challenges During COVID-19 Pandemic

Monday, July 1, 2024
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM CT
Location: Poster Board 556

    Presenting Author(s)

  • LM

    Lillie Monroe-Lord, PhD, RD, LD

    Director
    University of the District of Columbia
    Washington, District of Columbia, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • AA

    Azam Ardekani, PhD

    University of the District of Columbia
    Washington, District of Columbia, United States

  • CW

    Cassidy Weitman, BS

    University of the District of Columbia
    Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Disclosure(s):
Lillie Monroe-Lord, PhD, RD, LD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: The objective of this study is to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security, focusing specifically on gender-related disparities in American households.

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized data from a Qualtrics survey of 10,035 individuals aged 40-100, conducted between August 9 and September 15, 2020. Food security was assessed using the USDA's Six-Item Short Form. This validated tool effectively differentiates food security levels, categorizing individuals as either 'food secure' or 'food insecure'. Chi-square tests using SPSS were run to find association between gender and food security before and since COVID-19.

Results: The sample was comprised of 42.6% males and 57.4% females, with an average age of 62.4 years. Female food insecurity marginally rose from 17.6% to 18.2% during the pandemic, whereas male food security slightly decreased from 19.8% to 19.1%. Chi-square tests indicated a significant association between gender and food security levels before and since the onset of COVID-19 (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The study revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has differentially influenced food security among genders, with a slight increase in food insecurity among females and a marginal decrease in males. These statistically significant outcomes underscore the nuanced impact of global crises on food security dynamics and highlight the need for gender-sensitive approaches in addressing food insecurity during pandemics.

Funding Sources: This research project was funded by the Agriculture Experimental Station with funds from the Hatch Act to land-grant universities for multistate research projects, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.