What are the Associations Between Food Insecurity and Chronic Disease Within the Brazos Valley: Findings from the 2010 and 2013 Brazos Valley Health Surveys

Abstract

Chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes (T2D), congestive heart failure (CHF), arthritis/rheumatism, and obesity are associated with a significant likelihood of food insecurity in the general population, non-working-age individuals, and racial/ethnic minority populations of the Brazos Valley of Central Texas. This dissertation explores these associations through three manuscripts. The first manuscript consists of a scoping review of the literature to explore the association between food insecurity and chronic disease (T2D, obesity, arthritis/rheumatism, and CHF). The second manuscript provides a descriptive study of three populations in the Brazos Valley (general, non-working-age, and minority) and the association between food insecurity and chronic disease (T2D, obesity, arthritis/rheumatism, and CHF) within these selected populations. Lastly, the third manuscript describes the efficacy of federal policy programs (SNAP, TANF, and CSFP) in reducing food insecurity among these populations. The purpose of this dissertation is to address gaps in the literature concerning the association between food insecurity with chronic disease (T2D, obesity, arthritis/rheumatism, and CHF) morbidity in vulnerable populations (general, non-working-age, and minority) of the Brazos Valley of Central Texas.