Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-8-2021

Abstract

One particular social determinant of health: food insecurity, is gaining curiosity amongst researchers, social workers, and public health experts for its role in the bio-psycho-social health of children, specifically for low-income populations and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Due to historical disenfranchisement and systemic oppression, BIPOC children are three times more likely to experience this phenomenon than those in White households (American Public Health Association [APHA], 2018; Duffee et al., 2016; NASEM et al., 2017; Nitschke, 2017). BIPOC children also experience chronic health conditions related to malnutrition or unhealthy eating (Morales & Berkowitz, 2016; Vedovato et al., 2016), higher rates of psychological distress due to the social stigmatization of food insecurity (Whitsett et al., 2018), and predicted behaviors in the classroom such as fighting, stealing, and cheating (Jackson & Vaughn, 2018). At the end of 2020 it was predicted that nearly 54.3 million people across the United States would experience food insecurity, almost exclusively due to COVID-19 (Feeding America, 2020b). Therefore, now more than ever, it is imperative that social workers are equipped with the knowledge necessary to continue their ethical responsibility of enhancing human well-being and reducing the number of BIPOC children living in food insecure households. This presentation seeks to confront the prominent structural barriers that plague BIPOC – specifically children and adolescents. Additionally, it will provide best practice suggestions for individual, community, and government-based interventions – specifically targeting after school programs.

Comments

This poster was presented at Lipscomb University's 10th Student Scholar Symposium in 2021.

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