The incidence of food insecurity coupled with poor management of illnesses poses a
public health challenge. Poor adherence to medication regimens is a contributor to poor
health outcomes, especially among the socioeconomically disadvantaged. Food insecurity
is a global health and nutrition problem that affects approximately 50 million people in
the United States. The number of food-insecure households in the United States has
increased by 12% since 1995, and so has the burden of management of illnesses. The cost
of healthcare has risen from 5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1960 to 20% of
the GDP currently. This quantitative study used responses from questionnaires from a
sample size of 130 to assess the impact that food insecurity has on the management of
illnesses in families in Wayne County, Ohio. The social-ecological model was used as a
theoretical framework to understand the various levels of influence of food insecurity on
the management of illnesses. Results showed that people who were food insecure were 4
times more likely to skip medication (OR = 4.174; p = 0.0096), and people who used
food assistance programs were more likely to skip medication (OR = 4.305; p = .0088;
OR = .351; p = .0288). These results suggest that food insecurity is associated with the
management of illness. To promote social change, solutions at the individual, healthcare,
community, and policy levels are necessary to improve management of illness and
prevent health complications. Providing communities with sustainable methods to
empower them to supplement food and support consumption of balanced meals.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:waldenu.edu/oai:scholarworks.waldenu.edu:dissertations-8334 |
| Date | 01 January 2019 |
| Creators | Paul, Bernadette Coleen |
| Publisher | ScholarWorks |
| Source Sets | Walden University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies |
Page generated in 0.0015 seconds