Category: Social determinants of health

According to a 2020 study, families experiencing food insecurity were 62% more likely to face housing instability later, highlighting the significant and cyclical nature of the bidirectional relationship between food insecurity and housing instability. This dynamic shows how challenges in one area directly impact and worsen the other, trapping individuals and families in a difficult cycle.

Studies reveal that adults in food-insecure households face a dramatically higher probability of being diagnosed with chronic illnesses such as hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes. This striking correlation underscores the critical importance of understanding the chronic diseases related to food insecurity and the mechanisms driving them.

According to the World Health Organization, roughly 45% of deaths among children under five years of age are linked to undernutrition, revealing the severity of the issue globally. Beyond the immediate lack of food, understanding the deeper social factors of malnutrition—including poverty, inequality, and systemic issues—is critical to addressing this pervasive public health crisis.

According to the USDA, millions of U.S. households experienced food insecurity in 2021, a condition linked to poor health outcomes. Considering this, a patient's access to food is a critical social determinant of health that profoundly influences their well-being and disease management.

In a study of over 3000 U.S. counties, those with poverty rates of 35% or more had obesity rates 145% higher than wealthy counties. This striking disparity raises the critical question: does socioeconomic status affect obesity, and if so, what are the mechanisms behind this robust association?

According to the American Hospital Association, medical providers are increasingly adopting codes for social determinants of health (SDoH) to better understand and address patients' nonmedical barriers to wellness. A crucial example is the ICD-10 code for lack of adequate food, which directly addresses food insecurity and its impact on patient care.

According to a 2024 report, over 295 million people worldwide experienced acute levels of hunger. This widespread issue shines a spotlight on the critical question: what is the relationship between food insecurity and health? It is a complex, cyclical connection where insufficient access to nutritious food directly jeopardizes physical and mental well-being, leading to a cascade of negative health consequences.