https://aub.ie/MilitaryREACH-RabbittEtAl2022

Rabbitt, M. P., Beymer, M. R., Reagan, J. J., Jarvis, B. P., & Watkins, E. Y. (2022). Food insecurity among active duty soldiers and their families during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Public Health Nutrition, 25(8), 2329-2336. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980022000192

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to increased rates of marginal food insecurity (i.e., families reporting any indication of limited or uncertain access to food due to a lack of resources) among families. This study examined the prevalence of marginal food insecurity and its associated demographic risk factors among a sample of Army families (N = 2,832). Soldiers retrospectively reported on household food insecurity in the year prior to and in the 6 months following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Soldiers’ reports were compared to civilian rates of food insecurity during the same periods. Marginal food insecurity increased by 1.5 times among both Army and civilian households following the onset of the pandemic.

https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980022000192

Other

Army

Active Duty

Military families

Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)

Quantitative Study
Longitudinal Study

Rabbitt, Matthew, Beymer, Matthew, Reagan, Joanna, Jarvis, Brantley, Watkins, Eren

Objective We examined the determinants of food insecurity among active duty Army households that transitioned into food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design We compared Army households that recently transitioned into marginal food insecurity with those households that remained highly food secure (n = 2,832) to better understand how these households differ in their resilience to food insecurity during economic downturns using data from a military installation in the United States in 2020. Setting A U.S. military installation in the United States. Participants Active duty U.S Army soldiers. Results Prior to the pandemic, the prevalence of marginal food insecurity among Army households was similar to that reported for households in the general population. Marginal food insecurity among Army households increased over 1.5-fold—from 19 percent to 33 percent—with the onset of the pandemic. Relative to Army households with consistently high food security, the Army households that transitioned into marginal food insecurity after the onset of the pandemic were more likely to report concerns about financial insecurity and the job security of their family members. Conclusions Army households, like their civilian counterparts, are vulnerable to food insecurity because of instability in their income during periods of economic uncertainty. Periods of economic uncertainty are more common for Army households because of the frequent relocations associated with military service which could lead to predictable periodic spikes in their food insecurity.

Cambridge University Press

Article
REACH Publication

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, MPR
U.S. Army Public Health Center, Behavioral and Social Health Outcomes Program, MRB
U.S. Army Public Health Center, Health Promotion and Wellness Directorate, JJR
U.S. Army Public Health Center, Behavioral and Social Health Outcomes Program, BPJ
U.S. Army Public Health Center, Behavioral and Social Health Outcomes Program, EYW