Factors Associated with the National School Lunch Program and Childhood Food Insecurity in the United States

Almost a quarter of all U.S. children are food insecure. Regionally, the South has the highest rates of childhood food insecurity followed by the West, Midwest, and Northeast. This research analyzes factors associated with childhood food insecurity as reflected by National School Lunch Program participation rates using county-level data during 2006 and 2008. Results indicate that median household income and the unemployment rate are significant explanatory variables of childhood food insecurity, before and during the recession. Other explanatory factors include education, direct farm sales, metro and non-metro classification, and ethnicity. These results have broad policy implications for alleviating childhood food insecurity