Food Insecurity is Associated with Acculturation and Social Networks in Puerto Rican Households

Objective: To examine whether acculturation and social networks influence household food insecurity in an inner-city Puerto Rican community. Methods: A survey was administered to 200 low-income female Puerto Rican caregivers with at least 1 child 12-72 months old living in Hartford, CT. Food insecurity was measured with the Radimer/Cornell Hunger Scale. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify food insecurity risk factors. Results: Significant food insecurity risk factors included: being unemployed (odds ratio: 2.69), being single (2.34), being born in the United States (2.68), speaking only Spanish (3.15), planning to return to Puerto Rico (4.58), almost never/never attending Hispanic cultural events (6.85), and food stamps lasting less than a month (7.74). Conclusions and Implications: Low levels of acculturation, lack of social networks, and poor food stamps management skills may influence household food insecurity.