UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

This policy brief reports that, according to the 2005 California Health Interview Survey, more than 2.5 million low-income Californians (30%) cannot afford adequate food for their families on a consistent basis. For more than 775,000 adults, this problem is so severe that they frequently reduce the quality of their food intake or go hungry. This policy brief uses data from the 2001, 2003, and 2005 California Health Interview Surveys to detail the changes in food insecurity by county, income levels, and race/ethnicity. It also describes some of the recent changes in terminology used to describe food insecurity issues. Lastly, the brief discusses some policy options that could be used to address the problems described.