Food insecurity, the inability to access the food necessary to live a healthy, active life, affects different communities in vastly different ways. For those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), food insecurity may stem from more than economic limitations. For example, a lack of accessible transportation or a lack of accessible local grocery stores may, in combination with economic factors, limit access to adequate food and nutrition for people with IDD. Long aware of this pervasive concern, Debra Brucker and Hyun Ju Kim of UNH’s Institute on Disability (IOD) partnered with Eric Calloway from the Center for Nutrition and Health Impact to co-write a research grant proposal to the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). They were recently awarded a $300K grant from USDA-NIFA for their Inclusive Food Security for People with IDD (IFIDD) project.
The research grant is an important step towards improving the measurement of food insecurity among people with IDD and beginning to develop effective programs to address food access for people with IDD. While prior research1, 2, 3 has highlighted the increased risk for food insecurity that people with any type of disability face, there is limited research that has examined food insecurity specifically for people with IDD. A prior study (by Debra Brucker and Derek Nord) has found that young adults with IDD are more likely to reside in households that have high levels of food insecurity.
The IOD and the rest of the IFIDD research team have a two-fold, two-year plan for approaching this newly funded research project:
- Year 1/Objective 1: The first year of this research project will include a qualitative study that will be conducted in conjunction with a stakeholder advisory committee and utilize a participatory approach. The aim is to interview approximately 30 individuals with IDD and their families to gain a holistic understanding of the current state of their food insecurity.
- Year 2/Objective 2: Using what is learned in the first year, the project team will collectively create a preliminary measurement tool and intervention guidelines to equip social service organizations to better serve the community of people living with IDD and their families.
“This research will ultimately reduce food insecurity for people with IDD,” - Brucker
“In other research, we have conducted a lot of work estimating rates of food insecurity for people with disabilities, so we were already aware of the limitations of existing measures of food insecurity. Advocates and family members of persons with IDD have identified a need for a more accurate measure that considers factors other than economic ones.” Brucker also noted that this research complements other IOD initiatives aimed at addressing community living, education, and health needs of persons with IDD including the Disability and Health Program, National Center for START Services®, and UNH-4U.
With this USDA grant, the IOD is poised to make significant strides in understanding and addressing food insecurity among people with IDD and to provide valuable insights and practical tools for social service organizations. As Brucker highlights, this research will pave the way for more effective interventions and a deeper understanding of the unique challenges faced by this community.
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