Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Food security and nutrition
Economic Hardship and Health Within Sociodemographic and Occupational Groups — Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United States, 2022–2023
Reports on economic hardship measures and self-rated health among employed and recently unemployed adults. Hardship measures included lack of health insurance, cost of medical care, employment instability, food insecurity, housing insecurity, utility insecurity, lack of reliable transportation, and receipt of food benefits. Provides data by occupation, including for people employed in farming, fishing, and forestry.
Author(s): Sharon R. Silver, Jia Li, Taylor M. Shockey
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(19), 326-333
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Reports on economic hardship measures and self-rated health among employed and recently unemployed adults. Hardship measures included lack of health insurance, cost of medical care, employment instability, food insecurity, housing insecurity, utility insecurity, lack of reliable transportation, and receipt of food benefits. Provides data by occupation, including for people employed in farming, fishing, and forestry.
Author(s): Sharon R. Silver, Jia Li, Taylor M. Shockey
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(19), 326-333
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Public Transit Supports for Food Access: 2021 National Survey of Community-Based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living (CBS HEAL)
Examines public transit availability and planning, presence of demand responsive transportation (DRT), and DRT services to food retail destinations in 1,956 municipalities. Provides data on demographic disparities in public transit access and planning, including rural-urban disparities. Discusses health impacts of access to healthy food and the importance of planning for adequate public transit.
Author(s): Brianna L. Smarsh, Young Shin Park, Seung Hee Lee, Diane M. Harris, Heidi M. Blanck
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22, 240458
Date: 05/2025
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Examines public transit availability and planning, presence of demand responsive transportation (DRT), and DRT services to food retail destinations in 1,956 municipalities. Provides data on demographic disparities in public transit access and planning, including rural-urban disparities. Discusses health impacts of access to healthy food and the importance of planning for adequate public transit.
Author(s): Brianna L. Smarsh, Young Shin Park, Seung Hee Lee, Diane M. Harris, Heidi M. Blanck
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22, 240458
Date: 05/2025
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Who Regularly Uses the Nutrition Facts Label? Exploring Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Geographic Differences
Analyzes the consumers who regularly read nutrition facts labels when purchasing food. Utilizes National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to examine label use by demographic and household characteristics, dietary and spending behaviors, nutrition information use measures, and geographic characteristics, including small/medium metropolitan area versus nonmetropolitan area.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Brandon J. Restrepo
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Analyzes the consumers who regularly read nutrition facts labels when purchasing food. Utilizes National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to examine label use by demographic and household characteristics, dietary and spending behaviors, nutrition information use measures, and geographic characteristics, including small/medium metropolitan area versus nonmetropolitan area.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Brandon J. Restrepo
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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U.S. Household Food Spending Post COVID-19 and the Implications for Diet Quality
Analyzes household food spending across various population groups between the years of 2016 and 2022. Analyzes food purchases and food away from home (FAFH) spending according to demographic groups, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, region, and urbanicity. Discusses the impact of COVID-19 and economic inflation in spending patterns.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Abigail Okrent, Eliana Zeballos
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Analyzes household food spending across various population groups between the years of 2016 and 2022. Analyzes food purchases and food away from home (FAFH) spending according to demographic groups, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, region, and urbanicity. Discusses the impact of COVID-19 and economic inflation in spending patterns.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Abigail Okrent, Eliana Zeballos
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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County Characteristics Associated With Receipt of Food Boxes Through the Farmers to Families Food Box Program
Reports on county-level food box distribution through the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program between May 2020 and May 2021. Provides data on program funding and characteristics of food distributed by program round. Examines associations between likelihood of receiving food boxes and county-level rurality, access to food, and other demographic factors.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Keenan Marchesi, Saied Toossi, Katy Georg
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Reports on county-level food box distribution through the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program between May 2020 and May 2021. Provides data on program funding and characteristics of food distributed by program round. Examines associations between likelihood of receiving food boxes and county-level rurality, access to food, and other demographic factors.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Keenan Marchesi, Saied Toossi, Katy Georg
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Rural Households Accounted for Nearly One-Sixth of U.S. Food-Insecure Households in 2023
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Charts depicting the share of food insecurity in 2023 by residence area type.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Food Security Status Across the Rural-Urban Continuum Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines food insecurity across the rural-urban continuum and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food access in various locations. Utilizes 2015-2019 and 2020-2021 Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement (CPS FSS) data to analyze food security according to urban, large rural city/town, small rural town, or isolated rural town/area.
Author(s): Patrick J. Brady, Melissa N. Laska, Rachel Widome, Sruthi Valluri
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Examines food insecurity across the rural-urban continuum and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food access in various locations. Utilizes 2015-2019 and 2020-2021 Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement (CPS FSS) data to analyze food security according to urban, large rural city/town, small rural town, or isolated rural town/area.
Author(s): Patrick J. Brady, Melissa N. Laska, Rachel Widome, Sruthi Valluri
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Number of Census Tracts Classified Low Income and Low Access to Foodstores Increased in U.S. Urban and Rural Areas from 2015 to 2019
Bar chart comparing number of rural and urban census tracts classified as either or both low-income and low foodstore access between 2015 and 2019. Discusses reasons for the changes over time.
Author(s): Alana Rhone, Clio Polanco Cercado
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Bar chart comparing number of rural and urban census tracts classified as either or both low-income and low foodstore access between 2015 and 2019. Discusses reasons for the changes over time.
Author(s): Alana Rhone, Clio Polanco Cercado
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Cancer-Related Health Behaviors During the COVID 19 Pandemic in Geographically Diverse Samples Across the US
Examines cancer-related health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic via a June 2020-March 2021 survey of 21,911 people conducted through eight cancer centers. Includes demographic data, including rural-urban comparisons, on changes in physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, smoking and tobacco use, and alcohol consumption.
Author(s): Breanna B. Greteman, Allison Cole, Mary E. Charlton, et al.
Citation: BMC Cancer, 25, 50
Date: 01/2025
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Examines cancer-related health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic via a June 2020-March 2021 survey of 21,911 people conducted through eight cancer centers. Includes demographic data, including rural-urban comparisons, on changes in physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, smoking and tobacco use, and alcohol consumption.
Author(s): Breanna B. Greteman, Allison Cole, Mary E. Charlton, et al.
Citation: BMC Cancer, 25, 50
Date: 01/2025
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Household Food Sourcing Patterns and their Associations with Food Insecurity in Appalachian Ohio
Examines food insecurity and patterns in rural, Appalachian Ohio during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes data from 663 households at 4 separate time periods between July 2020 and April 2021 according to household demographics, food sourcing locations, and more.
Author(s): Kyle R. Busse, Kathryn I. Poppe, Qiang Wu, et al.
Citation: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 125(1), 54-68.e4
Date: 01/2025
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Examines food insecurity and patterns in rural, Appalachian Ohio during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes data from 663 households at 4 separate time periods between July 2020 and April 2021 according to household demographics, food sourcing locations, and more.
Author(s): Kyle R. Busse, Kathryn I. Poppe, Qiang Wu, et al.
Citation: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 125(1), 54-68.e4
Date: 01/2025
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