Name: Adults in Households with Nutrition Insecurity
Display Field: Geo_Name
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolygon
Description: Data for cities, communities, and City of Los Angeles Council Districts were generated using a small area estimation method which combined the survey data with population benchmark data (2022 population estimates for Los Angeles County) and neighborhood characteristics data (e.g., U.S. Census Bureau, 2017-2021 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates). Respondents who reported it was somewhat hard, hard, or very hard for their household to regularly eat healthy foods in the past 12 months are classified as experiencing nutrition insecurity. Healthy foods are defined as foods that support health and well-being. These foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, yogurt, and fish. They can be fresh, frozen, or canned, and they don’t have to be organic. Less healthy foods can include foods that are highly processed and high in salt, starch, sugar, or unhealthy fats.Nutrition insecurity encompasses the lack of consistent or equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable foods that support health and wellbeing. Poor nutrition is linked to increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, as well as higher healthcare costs and decreased productivity. Both food and nutrition insecurity are driven by social determinants of health, such as low income or unemployment, lack of affordable housing, and lack of access to healthcare. Structural racism has also influenced the prevalence of nutrition insecurity among historically underserved populations. Increasing enrollment in food assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (known as CalFresh in California) or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (better known as WIC) is an important measure that cities and communities can take to combat nutrition insecurity.For more information about the Community Health Profiles Data Initiative, please see the initiative homepage.
Copyright Text: Indicator generated by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Data for calculating this indicator came from the following sources: [1] 2023 Los Angeles County Health Survey, Office of Health Assessment and Epidemiology, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health; [2] Population and Poverty Estimates (Provisional), prepared by Hedderson Demographic Services for Los Angeles County, 2022; [3] U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2017-2021.
Adult_NI (type: esriFieldTypeDouble, alias: Percentage of Adults (Ages 18 Years and Older) Living in Households with Nutrition Insecurity, SQL Type: sqlTypeOther, nullable: true, editable: true)