A new study from the University of Arkansas reveals that 28.8 percent of adult Arkansans are food insecure.
The findings from the Arkansas Health Survey show that roughly 688,000 adult Arkansans in both rural and urban areas lack consistent, reliable access to the nutritious food they need for an active, healthy life.
This figure is approximately 10 percent higher than recent reports, which already ranked the state’s food insecurity as the worst in the nation, the study found.
When Arkansans cannot reliably afford food, they are more likely to delay medical care, struggle to manage chronic conditions, experience worse mental health and face disruptions that affect school and work.
“When families are concerned about where their next meal is going to come from, it spills over into every other aspect of their life and health,” said Don E. Willis, an assistant professor in human development and family sciences program in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.
Image courtesy of UA
The Arkansas Health Survey provides a detailed portrait of physical and mental health across the state. Based on nearly 10,000 responses, the survey shows researchers and public health officials the prevalence of more than 30 indicators, including tobacco use, obesity and depression in each of the state’s 823 census tracts.
Arkansas is the second state, following California, to conduct an in-depth health survey to capture community-level insights at the census-tract level.
In late February, interactive maps from the survey will be available online through the AR-COMPASS dashboard. The Arkansas Health Survey was a collaborative effort between the UA and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Both the survey and the forthcoming dashboard are housed within the Arkansas Health Equity and Access Lab at the UA.
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