Households with Disabled Family Members Suffer Significantly Higher Instances of Food Insecurity

Food Insecurity Worsens Health Outcomes for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

CLEARWATER, FL, UNITED STATES, January 21, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new study released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service found that American households with at least one disabled adult family member experience low to very low food security.

Utilizing data from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Bureau of the Census, the USDA found a strong correlation between households with disabled family members and food insecurity. Food-insecure households are defined as those that have difficulty providing enough food for all their members because of a lack of resources. (1)

The USDA concluded that 28.3 percent of American households with a disabled adult family member aged 18 to 64 currently experience food insecurity. This number increased to 33.9 percent, or just over one-third of American households facing insecurity when that disabled adult was not part of the labor force. In comparison, only 10.5 percent of households without disabled family members reported experiencing food insecurity.

The gap in food security continues to widen when looking at instances of very low food security. According to the USDA, very low food security is considered the more severe form of food insecurity in which standard eating patterns are disrupted, and the food intake of some household members is reduced. It was found that the prevalence of very low food security for adults not in the labor force because of a disability was more than four times that of households without an adult with disabilities (16.4 percent compared with 3.4 percent of households).

“Access to the types and amounts of food sufficient to maintain good health and nutritional status is vital for everyone,” says Dr. Craig Escudé, President of IntellectAbility. “These statistics point out significant health disparities for people with intellectual, developmental, and other disabilities.”

IntellectAbility provides tools and training to agencies, governmental entities, and supporters of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to foster early recognition and mitigation of health risks.

“Health suffers when people do not have access to high-quality food such as fruits, vegetables, and minimally processed food. This can result in obesity, as well as increased rates of hypertension and diabetes, which are known to be more prevalent in people with intellectual disabilities,” says Escudé.

Caregivers, social workers, managed care organizations (MCOs), and healthcare workers are the first line of defense against the harmful effects of food insecurity. Warning signs often exist, including:

• Complaints of hunger
• Eating very quickly
• Anxiety about when the next meal will be
• Obesity due to excessively eating high-calorie, low-nutritional value food
• Malnutrition due to not having enough calories to maintain a healthy weight

“People with IDD experience multiple health disparities. Identifying and addressing food insecurities can reduce these disparities and improve health, wellness, and quality of life for these individuals.

IntellectAbility provides tools and training to agencies, governmental entities, and supporters of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to foster early recognition and mitigation of health risks, thereby improving health and wellness. One such tool is the Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST), of which they are the sole developer, producer, and distributor. The web-based HRST is the most widely used and validated health risk screening instrument for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. IntellectAbility also provides numerous health-related and person-centered service training for supporters of people with IDD. With an unrelenting focus, IntellectAbility works to fulfill its mission of improving health and quality of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other at-risk populations. For more information, visit www.ReplacingRisk.com


Sources:

1. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/charts-of-note/chart-detail?chartId=110370

Daniel Mutter
MutterWorks
+1 305-926-1792
daniel@mutterworks.com