Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

January 22, 2021

Food Insecurity in a Low-Income, Predominantly African American Cohort Following the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Data from a predominantly Black cohort living in low-income, racially isolated neighborhoods in Pittsburgh showed an 80% increase in food insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in contrast to a nation-wide increase of 60%. Within weeks of stay-at-home orders going into effect, the prevalence of food insecurity in the sample was 37%. By comparison, in the general US population, the prevalence of food insecurity in May 2020 was 18%. Within the sample, food bank use and SNAP participation had not significantly increased by May 2020, suggesting that safety net programs did not successfully immediately reach people in need in the early months of the pandemic.

Dubowitz et al. (Jan 21, 2021). Food Insecurity in a Low-Income, Predominantly African American Cohort Following the COVID-19 Pandemic. American Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.306041