Hunger as a Vital Sign: Health Centers Responding to Food Insecurity

Food insecurity, defined by difficulty in accessing affordable nutritious food, affects approximately 14 percent of our nation's population, with health centers serving those at highest risk. Recent research details the linkages between diabetes, hypertension, cancer, obesity, and food insecurity.

Health centers are responding to food insecurity through screening for hunger, including incorporating such screening as a "vital sign." Coupling screening with intervention, health centers are able to monitor the impact of food intervention practices on the health outcomes of their patients.

This session will highlight how health centers are incorporating efforts to reduce food insecurity into their practices with an emphasis on food insecurity screening, electronic health record integration, and measurement of health outcomes related to food intervention practices. Resources for health centers interested in incorporating food security practices into their programs will be shared.

• - Identify validated screening methods to assess food security in health center populations.
• - Discuss food security screening, intervention, and health impact measurements derived from case studies of diverse health centers.
• - Identify resources on implementing and measuring food security screening, intervention, and impact in health center practices.