AN ANALYSIS OF POST-COVID FOOD INSECURITY IN THE NAVY

Abstract

Reports of significant instances of food insecurity among service members is a pressing concern, given their voluntary commitment to serve. This issue is particularly salient in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has increased food insecurity rates across the nation. My research aims to gain a better understanding of post-COVID food insecurity by analyzing geographic disparities in food cost and food insecurity rates along with understanding potential risk factors to food insecurity. Using data from 2020-2023 from the United States Census Current Population Survey, I analyzed the state-level food insecurity rates following the pandemic and generated a LASSO model to determine which variables in the dataset are the best at predicting food insecurity in the sample. States with the Navy’s fleet-concentrated areas saw an increase in food insecurity rates from 2021 to 2023. The preferred LASSO model identified associations between income, race, education, sex, and state-level interactions that when further studied with military personnel data could predict higher food insecurity rates.