Food insecurity (FI) is a public health issue in the US. Over the past 25 years, national prevalence of food insecurity – encompassing both low and very low food security – has been consistently over 10 percent, and very low food security alone has persisted at over 3 percent. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic […]
Introduction Healthcare systems are increasingly interested in identifying patients’ housing-related risks, but minimal information exists to inform screening question selection. The primary study aim is to evaluate discordance among 5 housing-related screening questions used in health care. Methods This was a cross-sectional multisite survey of social risks used in a convenience sample of adults seeking […]
As we awoke this month to another dispiriting report of the numbers of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections and deaths, a new set of horrifying statistics hit the airwaves. By the end of April 2020, 2 in 5 households with children <12 were food insecure (meaning they were unable to afford enough food for all […]
This pandemic has magnified the vulnerability of housing insecure and homeless families. We encourage health care providers to investigate how local and state policies are affecting these children and families. Pediatricians can speak up for children by coalition building with community organizations and government affairs specialists, calling legislators to voice their concerns, volunteering as an […]
Decades of research demonstrate the importance of a safe, stable, affordable home as a foundation for health beginning in the prenatal period and extending over the life course. 1 Unfortunately, in the United States today, millions of children face housing circumstances that harm their health and, as a result, increase unnecessary health care utilization. 2 […]
In the US, 40% of families have school-aged children and in more than 90% of these households, at least one parent is employed outside the home. Schools play an important role in these working families. Yet schools have been closed for approximately 2 months in an effort to curb the COVID-19 pandemic and closing has had […]
Food insecurity, defined as the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life, has consistently been associated with poor health outcomes and higher health care costs. To address this issue, a food resource referral was integrated into Hennepin County Medical Center’s (HCMC) electronic medical record (EMR) at the hospital, outpatient clinics, […]
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, housing instability and homelessness were linked to poor physical and mental health outcomes for children and adults. But the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic crisis highlight the critical intersection between where you live and health in myriad ways. Solutions that respond to the complex nature of these interlocking issues are needed more […]
Abstract The effects of housing instability and homelessness on child and adult health are well documented. However, few studies have explored health and housing interventions for families with children with the objective of health improvement. Housing Prescriptions as Health Care is a randomized controlled trial that is investigating the impact on physical and mental health […]
In this issue of JAMA Pediatrics, the findings of Boudreaux et al1 suggest that federal rental assistance for families with low incomes may be important for reducing emergency department visits for asthma. This study adds to the increasing body of research on the ways in which housing assistance is associated with health and has implications for housing […]