Increase food security among U.S. households and in so doing reduce hunger

	Baseline											Target
Objective	Year	Baseline	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2010

19-18 Food security among U.S. households	1995	88%	DSU	90%	DSU	89%	89%	89%	---	---	---	94%
Race and ethnicity
American Indian or Alaska Native only	1995-97	78%	DSU	DSU	DSU	79%	79%	78%	---	---	---	94%
Asian or Pacific Islander only	1995	91%	DSU	92%	DSU	93%	92%	93%	---	---	---	94%
Asian only	1995	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	---	---	---	94%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander only	1995	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	---	---	---	94%
Black or African American only	1995	76%	DSU	79%	DSU	78%	78%	78%	---	---	---	94%
White only	1995	90%	DSU	92%	DSU	91%	91%	90%	---	---	---	94%
2 or more races	1995	DNC	---	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DSU	---	---	---	94%
American Indian or Alaska Native; White	1995	DNC	---	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DSU	---	---	---	94%
Black or African American; White	1995	DNC	---	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DSU	---	---	---	94%
Hispanic or Latino	1995	75%	DSU	79%	DSU	78%	78%	78%	---	---	---	94%
Mexican American	1995	73%	DSU	79%	DSU	76%	77%	77%	---	---	---	94%
Not Hispanic or Latino	1995	89%	DSU	91%	DSU	90%	90%	90%	---	---	---	94%
Black or African American only, not Hispanic or Latino	1995	76%	DSU	79%	DSU	79%	78%	78%	---	---	---	94%
White only, not Hispanic or Latino	1995	91%	DSU	93%	DSU	92%	92%	92%	---	---	---	94%
Disability status
Persons with disabilities	1995	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	---	---	---	94%
Persons without disabilities	1995	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	---	---	---	94%
Lower income level (<=130% of poverty threshold)
All	1995	69%	DSU	68%	DSU	68%	66%	67%	---	---	---	94%
With children (aged under 18 years)	1995	59%	DSU	60%	DSU	59%	58%	58%	---	---	---	94%
With elderly persons (aged 65 years and over)	1995	85%	DSU	82%	DSU	82%	81%	84%	---	---	---	94%
Higher income level (>130% of poverty threshold)
All	1995	94%	DSU	94%	DSU	93%	93%	93%	---	---	---	94%
With children (aged under 18 years)	1995	91%	DSU	92%	DSU	90%	90%	90%	---	---	---	94%
With elderly persons (aged 65 years and over)	1995	98%	DSU	97%	DSU	97%	97%	97%	---	---	---	94%
Select populations
Household characteristics
With children (aged under 18 years)	1995	83%	DSU	85%	DSU	84%	83%	83%	---	---	---	94%
With elderly persons (aged 65 years and over)	1995	94%	DSU	94%	DSU	94%	94%	94%	---	---	---	94%


DATA ISSUES
--- = Data are not available.
BSL = Baseline data available for this year. See Baseline column.
DNA = Data have not been analyzed.
DNC = Data for specific population are not collected.
DSU = Data do not meet the criteria for statistical reliability, data quality, or confidentiality.
NA = Not applicable.


DATA SOURCE
19-18 Food Security Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS), U.S. Census Bureau.

Additional Information

Numerator: Number of U.S. households that did not report experiencing food insecurity over a 12-month period.

Denominator: Number of U.S. households during a 12 month period.

Population Targeted: U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population.

The 1995 Food Security Supplement to the Current Population Survey is a set of questions developed by an interagency working group led jointly by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service and HHS's National Center for Health Statistics. All of the indicators of food insecurity in the Supplement focus explicitly on food insufficiency and hunger, at adult and child levels, resulting from inadequate household resources. Other sources of food insecurity, such as child abuse/neglect or loss of function or mobility particularly relevant to the elderly population) are not distinguished by the measure.

The Food Security Supplement questions were asked of about 45,000 households as part of the 1995 Current Population Survey (a nationally representative sample selected and interviewed by the Census Bureau). This annual supplement has been in the CPS since 1995.

A statistical analysis of the survey responses identified a set of 18 core questions that were used to identify households with food insecurity. Two separate measurement scales were developed: one for food insecurity during a 12-month period and another for insecurity for the past 30 days. The 12-month scale, which covers a broader range of food insecurity, was used for this objective. Households were classified as food secure if fewer than three of the questions were answered affirmatively or if only one or two questions were answered affirmatively. Otherwise, the household was classified as food insecure. An affirmative answer included "yes," "often," or "sometimes."