Urban very low food-secure families experience similar demands, but have fewer assets to adapt compared to other food –insecure families

The US has set a goal of eliminating very low food insecurity in children (VLFSC) by 2015, but little is known about why some families experience VLFSC. The Family Adjustment, Adaptation, and Response model provides a framework for examining the potential differences between VLFSC and other food-insecure families. We hypothesized that VLFSC is associated with more crises, greater demands, and fewer assets. The Midlands Family Study used in-person surveys to investigate household and community conditions associated with VLFSC. Using the Household Food Security Scale, we compared VLFSC (n=100) families to other food insecure (n=108) families. Caregivers were recruited from randomly selected food systems sites (e.g., food pantries, CACFP day cares, farmers' markets) in Columbia, SC. Using logistic regression, we calculated the odds a family was classified as VLFSC compared to FI using valid and reliable measures of demands and assets. VLFSC families experienced more crises in the past year than other FI. Demands, such as bills, homelessness, and domestic violence were not significantly different in VLFSC. VLFSC families reported statistically significantly (p<0.05) reduced odds of having assets, such as $500 in monthly income (OR=0.82), family support (0.85), and their child participating in a summer feeding program (OR=0.52). Families experiencing VLFSC are similar to other food insecure families but have fewer assets to manage crises. Policies to improve wages, increase access to summer feeding programs, and allow families to remain in communities with extended family support are important for eliminating VLFSC.