Food insecurity among children linked to educational attainment of adult household members

Most U.S. households with children are food secure, meaning they have consistent, dependable access to adequate food for active, healthy living for all household members. However in 2012, 20 percent of U.S. households with children were food insecure at times during the year. In about half of those households, only adults were food insecure, but in 10 percent of households with children, one or more of the children were also food insecure at some time during the year. Food insecurity among children is strongly associated with the educational attainment of adults in the household. For households headed by an adult with less than a high school diploma, the prevalence of food insecurity among children was more than six times as high in 2010-11 as for households headed by an adult with at least a 4-year college degree. This chart appears in Food Insecurity in Households With Children: Prevalence, Severity, and Household Characteristics, 2010-11, May 2013.

Download higher resolution chart (939 pixels by 834, 150 dpi)