Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:This project is designed to reachresearchers in the fields of economics, public health, and nutrition, policymakers charged with improving the well-being of low-income Americans, and program administrators overseeing food assistance programs. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?There will be a lotof attention paid to the work described above by policymakers, program administrators, and researchers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
As part of a large-scale C-FARE project to look at the future of agricultural and applied economic research in the U.S., I was asked to present and write a paper on this topic. This is a high-profile activity that was partially funded by Hatch Act funds for my work. For this work, my co-author and I identified and reviewed the major papers that have been written in this area. Following this, based on the collective work he and I have done using Hatch Act supportand other funding, we identified future research needs in this area. These future research needs could potentially be funded by Hatch Act funds.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Gundersen, C. and J. Ziliak. 2018. Food Insecurity Research in the United States: Where We Have Been and Where We Need to Go. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy. Forthcoming.
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Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:This project is designed to reach (a) researchers in the fields of economics, public health, and nutrition; (b) policymakers charged with improving the well-bing of low-income Americans; and (c) program administrators overseeing food assistance programs. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Through the journal article listed above. In addition, I have preseented work at various conferences on the topics of (a) the causes and consequences of food insecurity and (b) the evaluation of food assistance programs. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue along the same path I've pursued since the outset of this project.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
My research continues to address each of these four points. In terms of publications, in the past year, I've published two refereed journal articles and I have four articles that are forthcoming. In terms of presentations, I gave dozens of presentations to research, policy, and lay audiences pertaining to my research findings. As part of all of this work, a chapter that appeared in an edited volume specifically cites Hatch Act funding.
Publications
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Gundersen, C. Understanding Food Insecurity in the USA and Canada: Potential Insights for Europe. In Biesalki, H. and R. Black. Editors. Hidden Hunger. Malnutrition and the First 1,000 Days of Like: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions. 2016.
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Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:This project is designed to reachresearchers in the fields of economics, public health, and nutrition,policymakers charged with improving the well-being of low-income Americans,andprogram administrators overseeing food assistance programs. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?I have disseminated the resultsthrough the two pieces mentioned above. In addiiton, I have presented work at various conferences on the causes and consequences of food insecurity and on the evaluation of food assistance programs. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue along the path I've been pursuing since the outset of this project.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The chapter that will appear in the forthcoming book included information from each of these four goals. For the note in Journal of Nutrition, I cover one of the consequences of food insecurity - sleep problems - that can be addressed through policy interventions (point 4 above) and I discuss how SNAP can be used to reduce these consequences.
Publications
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Gundersen, C. Understanding Food Insecurity in the United States and Canada: Potential Insights for Europe. In Malnutrition and the 1000 Day Window Reasons, Consequences, Solutions. Eds: H. K. Biesalski, Robert Black , Berthold Koletzko. Forthcoming.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Gundersen, C. Food Insecurity and Poor Sleep: Another Consequence of Food Insecurity in the United States. Journal of Nutrition 145(3), 391-392. 2015.
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Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience: This project is designed to reachresearchers in the fields of economics, public health, and nutrition;policy makers charged with improving the well-being of low-income Americans; andprogram administrators overseeing food assistance programs. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Gundersen and Ziliak (2014) was released via a large scale press conference at the Brookings Institution. This included a brief overview of the report followed by a panel discussion which included five of the leading persons working in this field. About 100 people attended this event. Gundersen et al. (2014) was the first article in the journal and was listed as a "special feature". In addition, a podcast and other promotional material was produced. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We have several papers in the pipeline addressing Objectives(1) through (4).
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
With respect to Objectives (1) through (4), the second and third productsmentioned previously covered these goals. With respect to Objective (3), the first productmentioned previously covered this goal.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Gundersen, C., E. Engelhard and E. Waxman. Map the Meal Gap: Exploring Food Insecurity at the Local Level. Applied Economics Policy and Perspectives, v36(3), 373-386.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Gundersen, C. and J. Ziliak. Childhood Food Insecurity in the U.S.: Trends, Causes, and Policy Options. Future of Children. Fall, 2014.
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Gundersen, C. Food Assistance Programs and Food Security. In: The Oxford Handbook of the American Welfare State. Edited by D. B�land, C. Howard, and K. Morgan. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
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Progress 01/01/13 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: This project is designed to reach (a) researchers in the fields of economics, public health, and nutrition;(b) policymakers charged with improving the well-being of low-income Americans; and (c) program administrators overseeing food assistance programs. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Through the journal article mentioned above. In addition, I have presented work at various conferenceres on the topics of (a) the causes and consequences of food insecurity and (b) the evaluation of food assistance programs. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Continue along the same path I've been pursuing since the outset of this project.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
With respect to (1) and (4), the paper mentioned above covered this topic. With respect to (3), we have begun work on an Economic Research Service (ERS) co-operative agreement which will help further work in this area.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Gundersen, C. Food Insecurity Is an Ongoing National Concern. Advances in Nutrition, v4, 36-41.
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Progress 01/01/12 to 12/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Current research and progress on this project includes: i) A review paper on food insecurity in the United States (Gundersen, forthcoming) and ii) a paper looking at the effect of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on poverty in the United States (Tiehen et al., 2012). PARTICIPANTS: Craig Gundersen, Laura Tiehen, and Dean Jolliffe. TARGET AUDIENCES: This work is designed to reach (a) researchers in the fields of economics, public health, and nutrition; (b) policymakers charged with improving the well-being of low-income Americans; and (c) program administrators overseeing food assistance programs. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The first paper described above is the first comprehensive review paper on this topic in this journal. The second paper highlights another advantage associated with SNAP and was part of a briefing for senior USDA administrators.
Publications
- Gundersen, C. 2013. Food insecurity is an ongoing national concern. Advances in Nutrition.
- Tiehen, L., Jolliffe, D. and Gundersen, C. 2012. Alleviating poverty in the United States: The critical role of SNAP benefits. USDA, ERS Economic Research Report 132.
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Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Current research and progress includes: i) A review paper on the economics of food insecurity in the United States (Gundersen et al., 2011); ii) A study of the relationship between reports of food expenditures and food insecurity in the United States (Gundersen and Ribar, 2011); and iii) a review of food insecurity issues pertaining to children (Feise et al., 2011). PARTICIPANTS: Craig Gundersen, Barbara Fiese, Brenda Koester, LaTesha Washington, David Ribar, Brent Kreider, and John Pepper. TARGET AUDIENCES: This work is designed to reach (a) researchers in the fields of economics, public health, and nutrition; (b) policymakers charged with improving the well-being of low-income Americans; and (c) program administrators overseeing food assistance programs. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
The first paper described above is the first comprehensive review paper on this topic. The second paper raises important issues regarding how one may wish to interpret food insecurity viz. other measures of food consumption. The third paper was published in a widely-read series that had commentaries written by leading experts in the food insecurity field.
Publications
- Fiese, B., Gundersen, C., Koester, B. and Washington, L. 2011. Household food insecurity serious concerns for child development. Social Policy Report, v25(3). Society for Research on Childhood Development. 2011.
- Gundersen, C. and Ribar, D. Food insecurity and insufficiency at low levels of food expenditures. Review of Income and Wealth, v57(4), 704-726. 2011.
- Gundersen, C., Kreider, B. and Pepper, J. 2011. The economics of food insecurity in the United States. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, v33(3), 281-303. 2011.
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Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Current research and progress includes: i) A study of the relationship between various aspects of nonresident father involvement. The authors find that father involvement across three dimensions (formal support, in-kind support, time) tend to be complements rather than substitutes (Garasky et al., 2010); ii) A study of the effect of food insecurity on various health outcomes for pregnant women. The authors find that food insecurity is associated with several negative health outcomes including pregnancy complications (Laraia et al., 2010); iii) A review of a book that appeared in Economic Record (Gundersen, 2010); and iv) Receipt of over $3 million in outside funding. PARTICIPANTS: S. Garasky (Iowa State), B. Lohman (Iowa State), S. Stewart (Iowa State), B. Laraia (UC San Francisco), and A. Siega-Riz (North Carolina). TARGET AUDIENCES: This work is designed to reach (a) researchers in the fields of economics, public health, and nutrition; (b) policymakers charged with improving the well-being of low-income Americans; and (c) program administrators overseeing food assistance programs. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The first paper described above is the first published paper to examine the relationship between different metrics of father involvement. The second paper analyzes an issue that has received a great deal of attention among those interested in food insecurity issues among low-income Americans. The extensive amount of funding will go to pay for studies of food assistance programs and food insecurity in the U.S.
Publications
- Garasky, S., Gundersen, C., Stewart, S.D. and Lohman, B.J. 2010. Toward a fuller understanding of nonresident father involvement: An examination of child support, in-kind support, and visitation. Population Research and Policy Review 29(3), 363-393. 2010.
- Laraia, B., Siega-Riz, A.M. and Gundersen, C. 2010. Household food insecurity is associated with self-reported pregravid weight status, gestational weight gain and pregnancy complications. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 110(5), 692-701. 2010.
- Gundersen, C. 2010. Review of Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire by William T. Cavanaugh. In Economic Record, 88(275), 648-650. 2010.
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Current research and progress includes: i) A study of the relationship between food insecurity and health outcomes when the former may be misreported. The authors found that, controlling for endogenous selection into food insecurity status and measurement error, food secure children are more likely to be in good health than food insecure children (Gundersen and Kreider, 2009); ii) A study of the effect of food insecurity on childhood obesity. Contrary to some previous studies, the authors find that food insecurity has no impact on child overweight or at-risk of overweight when a wide variety of measures of obesity are used (Gundersen et al., 2009); iii) Two studies of the effect of stress on childhood obesity. These studies find that children in households facing stress are more likely to be overweight than children in households not experiencing stress (Garasky et al., 2009; Lohman et al., 2009); iv) A study of the association between the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP - formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) and food insecurity. The authors found that states pursuing policies to encourage SNAP participation have higher rates of food insecurity than states without such policies. (Gundersen et al., 2009); v) A study describing the food insecurity status of Senior Americans and the determinants of food insecurity, with a particular emphasis on cross-state and urban/rural differences. This is the follow-up to our earlier comprehensive report on this topic (Ziliak and Gundersen, 2009). PARTICIPANTS: (i) This is part of a project titled "Estimating the Impact of Food Insecurity on Health Outcomes in the Presence of Food Insecurity Reporting Errors" funded by the RIDGE program of the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Harris School at the University of Chicago. Craig Gundersen and Brent Kreider (Iowa State University) are co-PIs on this grant. (ii)-(iii) This is part of a project titled "Food Insecurity, Stress, and Childhood Obesity," funded by a National Research Initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. Craig Gundersen is the PI on this grant and Steve Garasky, Brenda Lohman, Susan Stewart (Iowa State University), and Joey Eisenmann (Michigan State University) are co-PIs. (iv) This was work done with two colleagues, one at the Economic Research Service of the USDA and the other at the World Bank. Craig Gundersen acknowledged support from Hatch project no. ILLU-470-331 in the publication. (v) This paper was funded by the Meals on Wheels Association of America Foundation. Craig Gundersen and Jim Ziliak (University of Kentucky) are the PIs on this grant. TARGET AUDIENCES: This work is designed to reach (a) researchers in the fields of economics, public health, and nutrition; (b) policymakers charged with improving the well-being of low-income Americans; and (c) program administrators overseeing food assistance programs. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
The first paper described above is the first published paper to examine the dual roles of measurement error and endogenous selection in the oft-studied relationship between food insecurity and health outcomes. The second paper analyzes an issue that has received a great deal of attention among those interested in public health issues among low-income children. The findings will provide further background for those interested in how best to address the dual concerns of childhood obesity and food insecurity. The third paper builds on earlier work that also looked at the effects of stress on childhood obesity. The findings will provide further information for policymakers as they consider the potential benefits to programs that reduce stress with subsequent impacts on childhood obesity. The fourth paper elucidates the tension between the dual goals of increasing participation in SNAP and reducing food insecurity. This work is especially relevant for policymakers who are interested in SNAP, the largest food assistance program in the United States. The fifth paper analyzes the food insecurity status of seniors. While a great deal of work has gone into analyzing food insecurity among other age groups, work looking at seniors is much less common. The importance of this work was demonstrated by the appearance of the co-authors before a Congressional House Caucus session devoted to this report.
Publications
- Gundersen, C. and Garasky, S. 2009. Food insecurity and stress among children in the western United States. Rural Connections, v4(1), 13-14.
- Gundersen, C. and Kreider, B. 2009. Bounding the effects of food insecurity on children's health outcomes. Journal of Health Economics, v28, 971-983.
- Gundersen, C., Garasky, S. and Lohman, B. 2009. Food insecurity is not associated with childhood obesity as assessed using multiple measures of obesity. Journal of Nutrition, v139, 1173-1178.
- Gundersen, C., Jolliffe, D. and Tiehen, L. 2009. The challenge of program evaluation: When increasing program participation decreases the relative well-being of participants. Food Policy, v34, 367-376.
- Garasky, S., Gundersen, C., Stewart, S., Lohman, B. and Eisenmann, J. 2009. Family stressors and child obesity. Social Science Research, v38, 755-766.
- Lavelle, B., Larsen, M., and Gundersen, C. 2009. Research synthesis: Research strategies for surveys of American Indians. Public Opinion Quarterly, v73, 385-403. 2009.
- Lohman, B., Stewart, S., Gundersen, C., Garasky, S. and Eisenmann, J. 2009. Adolescent overweight and obesity: Links to food insecurity and individual, maternal, and family stressors. Journal of Adolescent Health, v45(3), 230-7.
- Gundersen, C. and Ziliak, J. 2009. Senior hunger in the United States: Differences across states and rural and urban areas. Special Report by the University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research for the Meals on Wheels Association of America Foundation.
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Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Current research and progress includes: i) A study of the relationship between food insecurity and Food Stamp Program participation when both may be misreported. The authors find that once measurement error is allowed, one must place a great deal of confidence in the reliability of the data in order to reach the conclusion that food stamp recipients have higher rates of food insecurity than non-recipients (Gundersen and Kreider, 2008); ii) A study of the effect of food insecurity on childhood obesity. Contrary to some previous studies, using a child-specific measure of food insecurity, the authors find that food insecurity has no impact on child overweight or at-risk of overweight (Gundersen et al., 2008); iii) A study of the effect of stress on childhood obesity. This study, the first ever on this topic, finds that young food secure children in households facing stress are more likely to be food insecure than children not experiencing stress (Gundersen et al., 2008); iv) A study of the food insecurity status of American Indians. The author establishes measures of food insecurity that allow one to see the extent, depth, and severity of food insecurity rather than just the extent. The higher food insecurity of American Indians in comparison to non-American Indians is found to be generally robust to choice of food insecurity measure (Gundersen, 2008); v) A study on the food stamp participation of Americans across the lifespan. The authors find, contrary to previous work, that persons over the age of 60, after controlling for other factors, are not less likely to participate than persons in other age categories (Gundersen and Ziliak, 2008); vi) A study describing the food insecurity status of Senior Americans, the determinants of food insecurity, the health consequences associated with food insecurity, and projections of food insecurity rates into the future. This is the first comprehensive report on this topic (Ziliak et al., 2008). PARTICIPANTS: (i) This is part of a project titled "How Sensitive are Inferences about Relationships Between Food Stamps and Food Insecurity to Reporting Error" funded by the RIDGE program of the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin. Craig Gundersen and Brent Kreider (Iowa State University) are co-PI's on this grant. (ii)-(iii) This is part of a project titled "Food Insecurity, Stress, and Childhood Obesity," funded by the National Research Initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. Craig Gundersen is the PI on this grant and Steve Garasky, Brenda Lohman, Susan Stewart (Iowa State University), and Joey Eisenmann (Michigan State University) are co-PI's. (iv) This is part of a project titled "A National-Level Study of Food Insecurity and Hunger Among Native Americans: 1995-2002" funded by the RIDGE program of the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the American Indian Studies Program at the University of Arizona. Craig Gundersen is the PI on this grant. (v) This paper was funded by the Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Program of the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Craig Gundersen and Jim Ziliak (University of Kentucky) are the PI's on this grant. (vi) This paper was funded by the Meals on Wheels Association of America Foundation. Craig Gundersen and Jim Ziliak (University of Kentucky) are the PI's on this grant. TARGET AUDIENCES: This work is designed to reach researchers in the fields of economics, public health, and nutrition, policymakers charged with improving the well-being of low-income Americans, and program administrators overseeing food assistance programs. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The first paper described above is the first published paper to examine the role of measurement error in the oft-studied relationship between food insecurity and food stamps. This work is especially relevant for policymakers who are interested in the Food Stamp Program, the largest food assistance program in the United States. The second paper analyzes an issue that has received a great deal of attention among those interested in public health issues among low-income children. The findings will provide further background for those interested in how best to address the dual concerns of childhood obesity and food insecurity. The third paper covers a determinant of childhood obesity that has not been covered before. The findings will provide further information for policymakers as they consider the potential benefits to programs that reduce stress with subsequent impacts on childhood obesity. The fourth paper analyzes issues germane to one of the most economically disadvantaged groups in the United States, American Indians. Moreover, this work provides researchers with a new set of tools to analyze food insecurity in the United States. The fifth paper addresses the lower food stamp participation rates among seniors but it finds that, after controlling for relevant confounding factors, that participation rates are not lower among Seniors. This finding points out the need for outreach to eligible food stamp households across the life-span and not just for Seniors. The fifth paper analyzes the food insecurity status of Seniors. While a great deal of work has gone into analyzing food insecurity among other age groups, work looking at Seniors is much less common. The importance of this work was demonstrated by the appearance of the co-authors before a Special Senate Sub-Committee on Aging session devoted to this report.
Publications
- Edelstein, S., Gerald, B., Crutchley Bushell, T. and Gundersen, C. 2008. Food and Nutrition at Risk in America: Food Insecurity, Biotechnology, Food Safety, and Bioterrorism. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. 2008.
- Gundersen, C. 2008. Measuring the extent, depth, and severity of food insecurity: An application to American Indians in the United States. Journal of Population Economics, v21(1), 191-215.
- Gundersen, C. and Kreider, B. 2008. Food stamps and food insecurity: What can be learned in the presence of nonclassical measurement error Journal of Human Resources, v43(2), 352-382.
- Ziliak, J., Gundersen, C. and Haist, M. 2008. Consequences and future of senior hunger in America. Special Report by the University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research for the Meals on Wheels Association of America Foundation.
- Gundersen, C. and Ziliak, J. 2008. The age gradient in food stamp program participation: Does income volatility matter Income Volatility and Food Assistance in the United States, 171-216. Edited by D. Jolliffe and J. Ziliak. Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. 2008.
- Gundersen, C., Lohman, B., Garasky, S., Stewart, S. and Eisenmann, J. 2008. Food security, maternal stressors and overweight among low-income U.S. children: Results from NHANES 1999-2002. Pediatrics, v122, e529-e540.
- Gundersen, C., Lohman, B., Eisenmann, J., Garasky, S. and Stewart, S. 2008. Lack of association between child-specific food insecurity and overweight in a sample of 10-15 year old low-income youth. Journal of Nutrition, v138, 371-378. 2008.
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