The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020 directed the Secretary of Defense to report on food insecurity among members of the armed forces and their dependents. RAND researchers examined the eight elements from the directive (including an assessment of the current extent of food insecurity among service members and their dependents) and developed answers, along with listing areas requiring additional analysis.

Cover: Food Insecurity Among Members of the Armed Forces and Their Dependents
Read Online

Food Insecurity Among Members of the Armed Forces and Their Dependents

by Beth J. Asch, Stephanie Rennane, Thomas E. Trail, Lisa Berdie, Jason M. Ward, Dina Troyanker, Catria Gadwah-Meaden, Jonas Kempf

Download

Download eBook for Free

FormatFile SizeNotes
PDF file 1.5 MB Best for desktop computers.

Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher for the best experience.
ePub file 9.2 MB Best for mobile devices.

On desktop computers and some mobile devices, you may need to download an eBook reader to view ePub files. Calibre is an example of a free and open source e-book library management application.
mobi file 22.3 MB Best for Kindle 1-3.

On desktop computers and some mobile devices, you may need to download an eBook reader to view mobi files. Amazon Kindle is the most popular reader for mobi files.

Purchase

Purchase Print Copy

 FormatList Price Price
Add to Cart Paperback180 pages $35.00 $28.00 20% Web Discount

Research Question

  1. What are the levels and distribution of food insecurity among members of the armed forces?

The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020 directed the Secretary of Defense to report on food insecurity among members of the armed forces and their dependents. The directive includes the following elements: an assessment of the current extent of food insecurity among not only service members and their dependents but also those living on post and presumably not receiving the basic allowance for housing (BAH); participation in food assistance programs; barriers to accessing this assistance; a description of other sources of income to meet basic needs; an assessment of the feasibility and advisability of a basic needs allowance (BNA) for low-income members; and three sets of recommendations (for policies, programs, and activities) to address food insecurity among military families. RAND researchers examined these elements and developed answers, along with listing areas requiring additional analysis.

Key Findings

Members who were food insecure varied in the extent of their food insecurity

  • Approximately 15.4 percent of all active duty personnel would be classified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as having low food security in 2018. Another 10.4 percent would be classified as having very low food security.
  • Food insecurity was higher among those living on post.
  • Of those classified as food insecure in 2018, 14 percent reported using food assistance in the past year.

Reported barriers to program use varied

  • Stakeholders reported in interviews that service members are concerned that seeking help could negatively affect their career or security clearance.
  • Eligibility was also mentioned as a barrier to participation.

Food insecurity in the military is of a heterogeneous nature

  • Food insecure members were more likely to report having a second job or a spouse with a part-time job.
  • A high share of food insecure members (69 percent) reported having savings for emergency expenses.
  • Some 29 percent of food insecure members reported being "very comfortable and secure" or "able to make ends meet without much difficulty."
  • Of the remaining 71 percent, nearly two-thirds reported that their difficulties were "occasional" versus "tough" or "in over your head."

Congress requested an assessment of a monthly basic needs allowance (BNA) that would bring members' household income to 130 percent of the federal poverty line

  • The monthly BNA to bring members to that level would need to be between $300 and $415.
  • Stakeholders disagreed on how much a BNA would help food insecurity.

Table of Contents

  • Chapter One

    Introduction

  • Chapter Two

    Defining Food Insecurity, Data Sources, and Food Assistance Program Eligibility

  • Chapter Three

    Insights from the Literature

  • Chapter Four

    Stakeholder Discussions: Approach and Key Themes

  • Chapter Five

    Analyses of Survey Data of Active Duty Members: Approach and Findings

  • Chapter Six

    Additional Data Analyses

  • Chapter Seven

    Analysis of a Basic Needs Allowance

  • Chapter Eight

    Summary of Findings and Areas of Future Research

  • Appendix A

    USDA Six-Item Short Form

  • Appendix B

    Overview of Surveys of General Population That Include Food Insecurity Questions

  • Appendix C

    Food Assistance Questions in 2016 Status of Forces Survey of Active Duty Members

  • Appendix D

    Additional Analyses of the 2016 SOFS-A Data

  • Appendix E

    School Lunch Analyses

Research conducted by

This research was sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and conducted within the Forces and Resources Policy Center of the RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD).

This report is part of the RAND Corporation Research report series. RAND reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.

The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.