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Indicator: Adequate Food

Data and Data Discussion provided by Communities Count

(1) Percent of Adults Age 18+ Who Report That Household Food Money Didn't Last By Income, Education, Age and Race/Ethnicity, King County, 2003

Figure 2: Adequate Food by Region in King County

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Upstream Indicators
  •   Access to Fresh Food --- “While some areas at risk of food insecurity are served by grocery stores, several other areas are not. In areas that are not well served by grocery stores, food insecure households likely face economic and social barriers as well as geographic barriers.” (Acting Food Policy Council, 2008). As this is a new indicator, trend data are not available.   (view data graph)
  •   Number of Farms in Organic Production --- There has been a strong 20%-a-year growth rate in organic production since 1990 (Organic Trade Association, OTA) and more land is going into organic production all the time. In Central Puget Sound, the number of certified organic farms tripled between 1995 and 2004.  (view data graph)
  •   Living Wage --- From 1999 to 2004, the percentage of the King County population receiving less than a living wage increased from 8.4% to 10.4%.   (view data graph)
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Downstream Indicators
  •   Diabetes Rate --- Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in King County, more than doubling during the past decade, with nearly 6 percent of county residents diagnosed as diabetic in 2006. Even more are unaware that they have the condition. Diabetes prevalence is likely to continue to increase as the percentage of obese in the population increases.   (view data graph)
  •   Low Birth Weight Rate --- The rate of low birth rates in King County increased significantly from 1999 to 2004. In 2004, 6.4 percent of infants born in King County were low birth weight or 1,455 infants. However, this increase was mainly due to an increase in the proportion of multiple births. There was no increase in low birth weight infants for singleton births.   (view data graph)
  •   Prevalence of Overweight & Obese Adults --- The proportion of King County adults who are overweight and obese continues to climb. In 2006, almost one in five adults were obese and more than half were overweight. Nearly nine percent of school age children were overweight.  (view data graph)
  •   School Readiness --- School districts in King County are in the process of implementing the Early Development Instrument (EDI) survey in order to provide their communities with evidence of how ready for school their kindergarten-age children are. To date only 3 school districts have carried out the EDI survey, Bellevue and Shoreline School Districts in 2004 and Highline School District in 2005.   (view data graph)
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Related Goals

The availability and nutritional value of food plays an important role in shaping a child's ability to learn. Having access to the right quantity, quality and types of food determines food security for an individual or community.

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Sustainability Snapshot:

Washington State has long struggled with high rates of food insecurity. From 1997 to 2001, the state ranked second highest in food insecurity out of the fifty states. Since then, the percentage of families struggling to put food on the table has dropped, primarily because of an increase in food assistance. In 2007, Washington ranked 30th. That food security persists reflects the number of families who scrape by on less than living wages.

Sustainability Trend:

Previous surveys carried out from 1995 to 1999 showed a much lower rate of concern among King County residents over having enough food than did the 2003 survey findings on whether household food money lasted. As the survey questions differed, trend data are not available. In 2003, King County had a lower rate of food insecurity than the state average of 11.9%, and Snohomish, Pierce and Kitsap Counties had rates equal to or higher than the average (Children’s Alliance, Hungry in Washington, 2006).

Data Discussion

The Indicator Defined

Percent of Adults Age 18+ Who Report That Household Food Money Didn't Last by (1) Income, Education, Age and Race/Ethnicity and by (2)Region, King County. 2003

Data Interpretation/Evaluation

There are some clearly defined relationships between income, education, age, race/ethnicity and adequate food (see graph 1). Not surprisingly, not having enough food money increases with decreasing income level in King County. In terms of education, people with a college degree were less likely to run out of money than those with less formal education. People below the age of 45 were more likely to experience food money not lasting than people in the older age groups. African Americans and Hispanic/Latinos were more likely to run out of food money than the white or Asian populations. There are no differences in food money not lasting by gender.

For King County as a whole, 8.7% of the survey respondents reported running out of food money sometimes and 1.7% reported it happening often, totaling 10.4% (see graph 2). Fewer people in east King County said that their food money often or sometimes didn't last compared to Seattle and South Region. In the same 2003 survey, 10.5% of King County adults reported they couldn't always afford to eat balanced meals.

Data Source and Limitations

Data were contributed by Communities Count (www.communitiescount.org) and are from the Washington State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The BRFSS is a random telephone interview survey of non-institutionalized adults age 18 and older that has been conducted in King County every year since 1987. The questions about food security concerns have not been asked since 1999. The questions about food money not lasting and not being able to afford balanced meals were asked in 2003. The geographic boundaries of the four King County subregions are defined by aggregating zip codes.

The limitations of an English-only telephone survey include the following: a) people who do not have a telephone are missed, b) people who do not speak English do not participate, c) people who have less education and lower incomes tend to be underrepresented. The sample of people reached in a telephone survey will not include those people who might be most in need of more or better food—that is the homeless and those unable to afford to have telephones.

 

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Additional Resources

  • Hunger in Washington 2006
    For the first time, this November 2006 report gives regional food insecurity within Washington State in addition to the state's national ranking.
  • Hunger in America 2006 - Local Report Prepared for Food Lifeline
    This report presents information on the clients and agencies served by Food Lifeline, an emergency food provider serving clients throughout Western Washington. The national study, Hunger in America 2006, from which this information was drawn is the most comprehensive study of domestic hunger ever taken in the U.S. The report provides a wealth of statistics on who uses emergency food services and the types of service provided.