Description

For 2021-prior years, FSSOUPK indicates whether anyone in the household ate meals at a soup kitchen. Beginning in 2002, this question also records how frequently this occurred.

Only households with incomes below 185% of poverty and higher income households that indicate food access problems in response to preliminary screening questions are asked FSSOUPK and other questions in section on coping strategies to ameliorate or avoid food deprivation. Since 2001, the screening procedures for FSSOUPK match those currently applied to the food security section.

This variable is part of the Food Security Supplement.

Comparability

This variable is comparable in most years. In 1995 through 2001, households were only asked whether they received emergency food. They have been coded as receiving food "at least once".

The universe changes over time. In 1998 and from 2001 through the present, households with incomes below 185% of poverty are automatically included in the universe. In addition, higher income households that report running short of food (FSSHORT) or not having enough to eat or enough of the kinds of foods they want to eat (FSFOODS) are consistently included. Prior to 2001, the screening procedures used to determine which households were included the question universe varied. Researchers need account for this when including other years.

Universe

Flags

Unharmonized Variables