Food Insecurity and Education Equity
For many students, having dinner every evening is an expectation, not an exception. Others are not as fortunate. In the United States, there are more than 38 million people (approximately 12 million children) that live in food-insecure households—meaning households with limited, or uncertain, access to adequate food. Food insecurity affects students’ ability to learn, grow, and be equipped with the tools to succeed in higher education and beyond.
In discussions about students’ academic performance, school officials, researchers, and lawmakers often mention parental involvement, academic rigor, peer influence, the quality of teaching, and other factors. However, food insecurity is rarely included in these discussions, though it is an issue that affects millions of students.
Various factors contribute to food insecurity: lack of transportation, low socioeconomic status, and the prevalence of food deserts—urban areas in which it is difficult to access nutritious foods—among others. For instance, a low-income student living in a food desert with no means of transportation and whose parents work long hours may have to resort to consuming a $2 chicken burrito from Taco Bell, which is significantly cheaper than healthier foods, or skipping meals entirely.
The consumption of unhealthy foods contributes to the development of a myriad of conditions, such as obesity, hypertension (extremely high blood pressure), type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis (fragile bones). As children are still developing, food insecurity can be particularly harmful to their health. A study conducted in 2001 demonstrated that, among preschool children, food-insecure children were more likely to suffer from stomach aches, colds, and headaches than their food-secure counterparts. Thus, the study suggests that food-insecure children are more likely to have poorer health, which contributes to poor concentration and other learning challenges. Moreover, many food-insecure households are also of low socioeconomic status, meaning that it is difficult for the children affected by food insecurity to get treatment for health concerns and additionally to be equipped for success at school.
A food-insecure child’s ability to learn is affected before they even step into a classroom. A wide array of vitamins and nutrients are essential for a child’s development. Food-insecure mothers do not consume enough healthy foods and typically lack the funds necessary to purchase adequate prenatal care, which can impact the development of a child as early as the womb and contribute to the development of congenital defects. Even beyond the womb, food-insecure children are at-risk for developmental delays, which can affect future social and academic skills.
Various governmental efforts aspire to combat food insecurity, but their execution has not always been successful. Programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provide food assistance to eligible individuals and families. However, there are still millions of food insecure individuals in the U.S. because these programs do not resolve all of the underlying factors of food insecurity and sometimes have stringent eligibility criteria, which means that not all low-income households can benefit. Furthermore, for many children, the free lunch they eat at school is the only meal that they eat each day, which leaves them vulnerable during the weekends and does not provide the quantity of food needed for the proper growth and development of a child.
The ramifications of food insecurity also manifest themselves in the classroom.
In 2005, a longitudinal study discovered that the reading development and mathematical skills of malnourished children suffer compared to those of other children. Another study suggests that food-insecure children were more likely to repeat a grade, have difficulties with self-control, and learn less during the academic year. The responsibility of providing sufficient food for students should not solely fall on the shoulders of the parents; the government should also be partly responsible. Food insecurity is a gargantuan issue, and a multifaceted approach that includes the home and the government is needed to recognize and address this issue as well as its underlying factors (e.g. low wages, unemployment/under-employment, etc.).
Conclusion
Expanding food assistance programs, such as including funds for take-home meals and school food pantries for school lunch programs, is integral in reducing food insecurity in childhood. Children need adequate, nutritious food to succeed academically and socially. Lawmakers are responsible for enacting laws that help ensure the prosperity of our nation by supporting its foundation—our youth. More importantly, every child should have access to adequate and nutritious food, not because of their potential contribution to the social and economic development of our country, but because they are human beings who deserve that right.