Prevalence and predictors of food insecurity among low-income households in Los Angeles County.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence and identify the predictors of food insecurity among households in Los Angeles County with incomes below 300% of the federal poverty level.


METHODS
The Six-Item Short Form of the US Department of Agriculture's Household Food Security Scale was used as part of a 1999 county-wide, population-based, telephone survey.


RESULTS
The prevalence of food insecurity was 24.4% and was inversely associated with household income. Other independent predictors of food insecurity included the presence of children in the household (odds ratio (OR) 1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-2.3) and a history of homelessness in the past five years (OR 5.6, 95% CI 3.4-9.4).


CONCLUSIONS
Food insecurity is a significant public health problem among low-income households in Los Angeles County. Food assistance programmes should focus efforts on households living in and near poverty, those with children, and those with a history of homelessness.
Furness
Bruce W
BW
Preventive Medicine Residency, DAPHT/EPO/CDC, 717 14th Street NW, Suite 950, Box 14, Washington, DC 20005, USA.
Simon
Paul A
PA
Wold
Cheryl M
CM
Asarian-Anderson
Johanna
J
D000328:Adult; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D011632:Public Assistance