Multigenerational Families and Food Insecurity

Abstract

The prevalence of multigenerational families is on the rise in the United States, as is food insecurity. We estimate the association of resident grandchildren on transitions in food insecurity using longitudinally linked two-year panels of the Current Population Survey from 2001 to 2010. We find that rates of food insecurity in families with a grandchild present are at least twice as high in a typical year compared with families without a resident grandchild, and the extent of very low food security increased substantially faster among these households over the past decade. The rise in food insecurity during and after the Great Recession is due to both increased entry into food insecurity and decreased exit out of food insecurity. A similar trend accounts for the rise in multigenerational households during the recession-grandchildren were more likely to move in with their grandparents, and once there, were less likely to move out. Our transition models show that whether grandchildren remain, or in periods of transition, multigenerational families are at heightened risk of entering food insecurity and remaining in this state. However, the entry of a grandchild may not always be a negative for the familys food security, nor the exit of the child a positive. Entrance of a child seems to buffer the family from extreme forms of food insecurity while exit exposes the family to risk of deeper food insecurity.

Family and Social Context Contributes to the Interplay of Economic Insecurity, Food Insecurity, and Health

“…For example, there is a rich history of kinship and other social alliances as support mechanisms within which food is shared. Much of this work has occurred within communities similar to our study population that face multiple needs and stressors, and among low-income African-American and immigrant Latino households (Balatsoukas et al 2015;Dirks et al 1980;Lei et al 2016;RTI International 2014;Stack 1974;Ziliak and Gundersen 2012). Our finding that clients share charitable food adds to this existing literature about food-sharing of purchased or cultivated foods within social networks in community settings.…”

“…; Lei et al. ; RTI International ; Stack ; Ziliak and Gundersen ). Our finding that clients share charitable food adds to this existing literature about food‐sharing of purchased or cultivated foods within social networks in community settings.…”

Mapping Food Insecurity in Metro Atlanta

“…Since the end of the Great Recession in 2009, the numbers of seniors experiencing hunger have increased significantly; 8.8 million seniors (15% of seniors) faced the threat of hunger in 2011. 30 As noted in Sections 2 and 3, seniors and racial and ethnic minorities also have higher rates of hunger than their white counterparts. 48 Thus, as the U.S. population ages and as the aging population becomes more diverse, food insecurity may also increase.…”

“…States receive block grants to design and operate programs that accomplish one of the purposes of the TANF program. 28 The Great Recession: Beginning in 2008, the US entered into an economic downturn, referred to as "The Great Recession", which was characterized by several household challenges, including increasing energy costs 14 and food prices, 29 decreasing housing security, 30 and increasing unemployment. 31 Theory of reasoned action or planned behavior: The theory of reasoned action suggests that a person's behavior is determined by their intention to perform the behavior and that this intention is a function of their attitude toward the behavior; as such, the best predictor of behavior is intention.…”

“…Numerous aspects of household composition are associated with food insecurity among adults and children, including presence of children, 33,53,82 women as head of household, 29,53,62,63,83 and multigenerational families in a single dwelling. 30,34,84,85 Households with children experience food insecurity more often than those without children. Figure 2-2 shows the prevalence of food insecurity among households with children.…”