Emerging adults’ intersecting experiences of food insecurity, unsafe neighbourhoods and discrimination during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak

Abstract

Objective: Examine how food insecurity is related to emerging adults’ food behaviors and experiences of neighborhood safety and discrimination, and identify resources needed to support their health during the COVID-19 outbreak. Design: Rapid-response, online survey. Participants completed the 6-item U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module, a brief measure of food insufficiency, and measures of food behaviors, neighborhood safety, and discrimination. Open-ended questions were used to assess changes in eating behaviors during COVID-19 and needed resources. Setting: C-EAT (COVID-19 Eating and Activity over Time) study invitations were sent by email and text message to a longitudinal cohort. Participants: A total of 218 emerging adults (mean age=24.6±2.0 years, 70.2% female) completed a survey in April-May 2020 during a stay-at-home order in Minnesota. Results: The past year prevalence of food insecurity was 28.4%. Among food insecure respondents, 41.0% reported both eating less and experiencing hunger due to lack of money in the past month. Food insecure respondents were less likely than those who were food secure to have fruits/vegetables at home and more likely to have frequent fast-food restaurant meals, feel unsafe in their neighborhood, and experience discrimination during the stay-at-home order. Food insecure adults reported changes including eating more food prepared at home, eating more take-out restaurant meals, and purchasing more energy-dense snacks as a result of events related to COVID-19. Resources most needed to support their health included eligibility for more food assistance and relief funds. Conclusions: Food insecure emerging adults experience many barriers to maintaining healthful eating patterns during COVID-19.

The Relationship between Food Security Status and Fruit and Vegetable Intake during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…In a study that included respondents from four Western countries, the average portions of fruits and vegetables consumed per day actually increased from before the pandemic to during the pandemic [47]. No studies to date have compared changes in fruit and vegetable intake between food-secure and food-insecure individuals, but one study of U.S. emerging adults found that food-insecure respondents had significantly lower home availability of fruits and vegetables compared with food-secure respondents [48].…”

Disordered eating in a population‐based sample of young adults during the COVID‐19 outbreak

“…Participants in the C‐EAT (COVID‐19 Eating and Activity over Time) study were members of the EAT 2010–2018 cohort who were invited to complete a follow‐up, online survey during the COVID‐19 outbreak (Larson, Slaughter‐Acey, et al, 2021). The EAT 2010–2018 study is a population‐based investigation of weight‐related health behaviors and associated factors among young people who were attending secondary school in Minneapolis‐St.…”

“…All open‐ended comments were read by two independent raters (MS and RE), wherein raters identified responses that included a description of disordered eating, any changes to eating behaviors, or eating disorder symptoms. Given the broad scope of the qualitative survey question, additional research using these survey data has focused on qualitative responses pertaining to the impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic on food availability, food preparation, and food insecurity (Larson, Slaughter‐Acey, et al, 2021). The deductive component of the qualitative analysis for the present study thus excluded responses pertaining to food access, preparation, and insecurity.…”

Recreational Screen Time Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the U.S.: A Mixed-Methods Study among a Diverse Population-Based Sample of Emerging Adults

“…Participants in EAT 2010–2018 included a population-based sample of young people who attended middle school or high school in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota in 2009–2010, and were followed over time [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. The C-EAT survey was designed to capture changes in eating and activity behaviors and markers of psychosocial well-being during COVID-19 [ 21 , 22 ]. Email, text message, and mailed invitations were sent during the months of April to October 2020 to the 1568 emerging adults who had completed the most recent follow-up survey in 2017–2018.…”