title: Food insecurity and budgeting among Liberians in the US: how are they related to socio-demographic and pre-resettlement characteristics.
abstract: Objectives of this study: (1) Examine food insecurity (FI) prevalence and its relationship with sociodemographic and pre-resettlement characteristics; (2) Investigate differences in amount of money spent on food/month by food security status and socio-demographic characteristics. A pilot study with semi-structured in-home interviews was conducted with Liberian caregivers (n = 33). FI was indicated in 61% of households. FI was higher among women >40, had ≤ high school education and those making ≤$1,000/month. Women arriving in US >15 years of age were more likely to be food insecure. Participants spent an average $109/month on groceries/member. Food insecure women, and those without a car spent more money on food (P < .10). Liberian women in this sample experience high levels of FI upon resettlement. Besides poor economic conditions, pre-resettlement characteristics were associated with food security status. These findings call for future research to understand how preresettlement conditions affect food choices, budgeting and thereby food security status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 319 College Avenue, 318 Stone Building, Greensboro, NC, 27412, USA.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Nunnery
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Haldeman
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Dharod
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000208:ethnology; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007988:Liberia / Q000208:ethnology; D008019:Life Style; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D012036:Refugees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States