Food insecurity is a major health problem in the United States and is associated with poor physical and mental health (Borre, Ertle, & Graff, 2010). It occurs when an individual or family lacks sufficient funds to gain access to food when it is wanted or needed, or lack of access to a store where they could purchase quality food with enough variety for a healthy diet. Food insecurity may or may not accompany hunger. Research has shown that food insecurity leads to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic illnesses (Borre et al., 2010).
Background
Approximately 11% of the general population in the U.S. is food insecure (Borre et al., 2010). One group in particular that is at high risk for this is migrant and seasonal …show more content…
All of the families were from Mexico except for two that were from Guatemala. Demographics were obtained along with heights and weights of all participants. Qualitative data was compiled using a 24-hour dietary recall and interview questions aimed at gleaning information regarding their diets in their home countries compared to their diets since migration to the U.S. The USDA food security questionnaire was delivered via interview in Spanish or English, depending on the language preferred by the participants. Table 1 lists participants’ answers for the reasons they were food insecure in their home countries versus the reasons they are food insecure in the United …show more content…
They generally have little control over their working conditions, wages, living conditions, and location and availability of work because they are dependent on the agricultural growing seasons and must migrate in order to stay employed. Instead, they seek out control wherever they can find it. They lean on others in their farmworker community for shared transportation, access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and links to community resources and outside job opportunities. Developing a community has shown to increase food security in migrant and seasonal farm workers. In addition, food security can be increased with improved education and thereby improved access to jobs outside of farm work, such as teaching. However, food insecurity and vulnerability increases with each migration to a new job, which takes them further away from a developed social
Background
Approximately 11% of the general population in the U.S. is food insecure (Borre et al., 2010). One group in particular that is at high risk for this is migrant and seasonal …show more content…
All of the families were from Mexico except for two that were from Guatemala. Demographics were obtained along with heights and weights of all participants. Qualitative data was compiled using a 24-hour dietary recall and interview questions aimed at gleaning information regarding their diets in their home countries compared to their diets since migration to the U.S. The USDA food security questionnaire was delivered via interview in Spanish or English, depending on the language preferred by the participants. Table 1 lists participants’ answers for the reasons they were food insecure in their home countries versus the reasons they are food insecure in the United …show more content…
They generally have little control over their working conditions, wages, living conditions, and location and availability of work because they are dependent on the agricultural growing seasons and must migrate in order to stay employed. Instead, they seek out control wherever they can find it. They lean on others in their farmworker community for shared transportation, access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and links to community resources and outside job opportunities. Developing a community has shown to increase food security in migrant and seasonal farm workers. In addition, food security can be increased with improved education and thereby improved access to jobs outside of farm work, such as teaching. However, food insecurity and vulnerability increases with each migration to a new job, which takes them further away from a developed social