Description

FSSTATUSM identifies the food security status of the household in the past 30 days. Households are classified as food secure, low food security, or very low food security. See FSSTATUS for the USDA definitions of food insecurity.

Food security is based on the number of affirmative answers to each of the food security questions and the presence of children in the household. Households are classified as food secure if they report less than three food insecure conditions in the past 30 days. Households with incomes greater than 185% of the poverty line are asked two screening questions about food insecurity and if they report no instances of food insecurity are categorized as food secure.

Households without children are classified as low food security if they report 3-5 food insecurity conditions and as very low food insecure if they report 6 or more food insecure conditions. Households with children are classified as low food insecure if they report 3-7 food insecure conditions, and very low food insecure if they report 8 or more food insecure conditions in the past 30 days.

FSSTATUSM is available since 2005, when households were first asked the full 18-item food security questionnaire in the last 30-days. Food security in the past year is available since 1998 in FSSTATUS.

This variable is part of the Food Security Supplement.

Comparability

This variable is comparable across years.

In 1998, 1999, and 2007, food security data are not available for all rotation groups. The food security status weight FSHWTSCALE should be used when analyzing the food security scales.

Universe

Flags

Unharmonized Variables