Section 6.4.1

6.4.1 - Indicators of Food Insecurity and Hunger Among Children

In addition to the six questions shown in Tables 6.2.1 and 6.3.1, clients were asked three additional questions about their children's skipping meals, being hungry, and not eating enough. Results are presented in Table 6.4.1.

Table 6.4.1

INDICATORS OF FOOD INSECURITY AND HUNGER AMONG CHILDREN

Three Additional Questions ¹	Pantry Client Households	Kitchen Client Households	Shelter Client Households	All Client Households
How often during the previous 12 months clients' child/children was/were not eating enough because they just couldn't afford enough food
Often	5.0%	8.1%	1.9%	5.1%
Sometimes	21.0%	24.9%	19.6%	21.2%
Never	74.0%	67.0%	78.5%	73.6%
TOTAL	100%	100%	100%	100%
Clients whose child/children ever skipped meals because there wasn't enough money for food during the previous 12 months
Yes	12.0%	18.4%	12.0%	12.4%
No	88.0%	81.6%	88.0%	87.6%
TOTAL	100%	100%	100%	100%
Clients whose child/children was/were hungry at least once during the previous 12 months, but couldn't afford more food
Yes	14.5%	19.4%	22.2%	14.9%
No	85.5%	80.6%	77.8%	85.1%
TOTAL	100%	100%	100%	100%
SAMPLE SIZE (N) - Households with children younger than age 18	11,329	812	589	12,730

Source
This table was constructed based on usable responses to Questions 3, 6b, 48, 49, 50, and 51 of the client survey.

Notes
The percentages presented in this table are based only on usable responses, excluding missing, don't know, and refusal responses. All usable responses were weighted as described in Chapter 3 and in the Technical Appendix volume to represent all emergency food clients of the A2H network. The sample sizes (N) also include missing data.

For children not eating enough, missing, don't know, and refusal responses combined are 4.6% for pantry clients, 9.9% for kitchen clients, 1.3% for shelter clients, and 4.9% for all clients.

For children skipping meals, missing, don't know, and refusal responses combined are 4.7% for pantry clients, 9.6% for kitchen clients, 1.4% for shelter clients, and 4.9% for all clients.

For children hungry, missing, don't know, and refusal responses combined are 5.3% for pantry clients, 9.4% for kitchen clients, 1.7% for shelter clients, and 5.5% for all clients.

Among all clients with children, 5.1% stated that, during the previous 12 months, their children were often not eating enough because they just couldn't afford enough food. Another 21.2% of the clients experienced such a situation sometimes during the previous 12 months.

12.4% of the clients with children said that their children skipped meals because there was not enough money for food during the previous 12 months.
14.9% of the clients with children said that their children were hungry at least once during the previous 12 months, but they could not afford more food.

1. Bickel, Gary, Mark Nord, Cristofer Price, William Hamilton, and John Cook. "Guide to Measuring Household Food Security, Revised 2000." U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, March 2000.