Food sufficiency and the utilization of free food resources for working-age Americans with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Debra L Brucker, Grace Stott, Kimberly G Phillips
PMID 34183289WHAT IT FOUND
Working-age people with disabilities were less likely to have enough food and more likely to use free food resources than those without disabilities.
However, the pandemic did not cause a disproportionately larger drop in food sufficiency for this group compared to others.
Key findings
01In September 2020, 52% of people with disabilities had enough of the kinds of food they wanted to eat in the last seven days, compared to 73% of those without disabilities.
02People with disabilities had significantly higher odds of using free food resources in the past week than those without disabilities, even after adjusting for other factors.
03The difference in the rate of change in food sufficiency from pre-pandemic to September 2020 between people with and without disabilities was not statistically significant.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used a non-probability online sample, which may not represent the general population, especially those with lower educational attainment or without internet access. Pre-pandemic food sufficiency was based on recall, which introduces potential bias. Barriers to food access were only assessed for those who had already received free food, so the study cannot tell if barriers prevented others from seeking help altogether. The survey lacked household-level data, such as marital status or household size, which are relevant to food security.
Declared interests
The research was supported by grants from the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the National Institute for Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that the pandemic caused a uniquely severe decline in food sufficiency for people with disabilities compared to the general working-age population. While absolute rates of food insufficiency were higher for people with disabilities, the rate of change during the pandemic was not statistically different between the two groups.