Food insecurity has increased in Kansas, and with inflation and high costs of living, university and state programs are making efforts to fight food insecurity and hunger.
Nationally, food insecurity affects 13.5% of Americans. In Kansas, though, one in seven individuals indicate that they are food insecure, said Cheryl Gibson of the internal medicine department at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Many Americans relied on pandemic aid programs that ended in 2021 and 2022, so food insecurity is becoming a bigger issue than it was just two years ago.
“It takes a community approach because it’s a community problem,” said Kristina Bridges, a KU Medical center research assistant professor. “We have major disparities and inequities when we look at food insecurity. Food insecurity itself is a symptom of larger issues like unemployment, lack of affordable housing and low-wage jobs.”
Food insecurity is more than just economics. Feeding America describes it as “race as well as place” that play a vital role in someone’s access to fresh food. Many Kansans are identified as living in ‘food deserts,’ meaning they may not live within a 10 mile radius of a large food retailer or nearby shop with fresh produce.
Professionals all agree that the lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables is a root cause of many health issues such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, according to University of Kansas Health system physician Branden Comfort.
“Food insecurity is one of many social determinants of health,” said University of Kansas Health System chief medical officer Steve Stites said. “Some say access to healthy food is 80-85 percent of what determines your health.”
In terms of food insecurity among children in Kansas, the 2024 Kids Count data book published by statewide advocacy group Kansas Action for Children claims “Kansas’ progress is fading.” With increased consumer prices in the grocery store and the end of programs from the pandemic, it has become more and more difficult for many families to buy food, due to “trade-offs” between other needs.
“It’s food prices, but also housing costs,” Bridges said. “If you can’t have affordable housing, your food budget is a lot lower.”
From 2021 to 2022, there was a 6.5% increase in food insecurity among children 18 and under in Kansas. While nearly half of kids in the state qualify for free and reduced lunch, counties such as Phillips and Wyandotte are seeing 25% or more of kids battling food insecurity.
With nearly 5% of Kansas Health System patients identifying a need for better food access, the clinic has implemented a new feature for patients. Medical students organized a refrigerator that is stocked weekly by local harvesters with fresh fruits and vegetables. According to Comfort, the clinic can give each patient a week’s worth of healthy food.
“Our medical students are much more equipped about (food insecurity) today,” Comfort said. “It’s something we know is important now. If a patient in our clinic is in need of food, we can give it to them. I think we’ve given out about 600 pounds of food.”
The medical center also implemented the Fresh RX program, where those in need can be referred by a physician. Fresh RX was started in 2023 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and gives participants a card loaded with a preset amount to purchase fruits and vegetables tax free. Fresh RX even includes free, in-person classes, information online and the ability to double dollar amounts from other food insecurity resources in the state. Bastian Wade, a participant of the program, was very thankful that he was able to get fresh produce for free.
“Just knowing we had the ability to go get fruits and vegetables was just amazing,” Wade said. “Knowing we’d actually have this in the house for a while, we really, really enjoyed being able to do it.”
Beyond offering the programs, the Medical Center and clinic administer surveys and testing to follow up on patients in the program.
“We looked at general health as well as mental health, and everyone seemed to be better in our reports,” Gibson said. “One third of our sample improved their food security. We’re very happy with those results and are looking forward to year three and look forward to improving our program.”
Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: info@kansasreflector.com. Follow Kansas Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.
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