title: Understanding the Link between Poverty and Food Insecurity among Children: Does the Definition of Poverty Matter?
abstract: This paper examines the association between poverty and food insecurity among children, using two different definitions of poverty-the official poverty measure (OPM) and the new supplemental poverty measure (SPM) of the Census Bureau, which is based on a more inclusive definition of family resources and needs. Our analysis is based on data from the 2001-11 Current Population Survey and shows that food insecurity and very low food security among children decline as income-to-needs ratio increases. The point estimates show that the associations are stronger as measured by the new supplemental measure of income-to-needs ratio than when estimated through the official measure. Statistical tests reject the hypothesis that poor households' odds of experiencing low food security are the same whether the SPM or OPM measure is used; but the tests do not reject the hypothesis when very low food security is the outcome.
authors.affiliation: Columbia University School of Social Work, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wight
authors.affiliation: Columbia University School of Social Work, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027.
authors.forename: Neeraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaushal
authors.affiliation: Columbia University School of Social Work, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waldfogel
authors.affiliation: Columbia University School of Social Work, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027.
authors.forename: Irv
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Garfinkel
keywords: Food insecurity among children; official poverty measure; poverty; supplemental poverty measure