The Impact of Income Levels on Food Insecurity in Rural Communities

Abstract

The issue of food insecurity, defined by Anderson (1990) as: “[The] limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways” (1557), is wide spread for rural communities as they experience a lack of proper nutrition at a higher rate.This research study seeks to examine the correlation between household income per the poverty level and food insecurity within the population of a rural area.The research seeks to identify trends in the levels of income and the levels of food insecurity in a rural area based upon the poverty threshold.The poverty threshold, as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Services (2016), is the minimal amount of income needed for a family to meet its basic needs. Using the poverty threshold as a measure of the minimum amount of income needed, the poverty threshold is determined by the amount of family members in the home, beginning with $11,880 annually for a household of one individual, and increasing by $4,140 for each additional household member (U.S. Department ofHealthand HumanServices 2016).