Food insecurity trends and disparities according to immigration status in the US households, 2011–2021

Background: Food insecurity related to immigration status remains largely underexplored. This study examined trends and disparities in household food insecurity by immigration status in the United States (US). Methods: We analyzed data from 427,942 households from the US Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement from 2011 to 2021. Immigration status categories included recent immigrants (< 5 years), long-term immigrants (≥ 5 years), naturalized citizens, and US-born citizens. Food insecurity was assessed using validated questions on consistent access to enough food for an active and healthy life. Results: From 2011 to 2021, food insecurity prevalence declined from 14.9 % (95 % CI, 14.5 %–15.3 %) to 10.2 % (95 % CI, 9.8 %–10.6 %). Among recent immigrants, prevalence decreased from 25.2 % (95 % CI, 23.1–27.4) in 2011 to 15.0 % (95 % CI, 12.8 %–17.2 %) in 2019, then increased to 17.7 % (95 % CI, 14.7 %–20.2 %) in 2020 and 17.4 % (95 % CI, 14.7 %–20.2 %) in 2021. Long-term immigrants' prevalence dropped from 20.4 % (95 % CI, 16.9 %–24.0 %) in 2011 to 10.2 % (95 % CI, 7.2 %–13.1 %) in 2018, then increased to 17.7 % (95 % CI, 13.7 %–21.7 %) in 2021. Naturalized citizens' prevalence decreased from 14.4 % (95 % CI, 12.9 %–15.9 %) to 9.5 % (95 % CI, 8.2 %–10.9 %). US-born citizens' prevalence decreased from 14.2 % (95 % CI, 13.8 %–14.6 %) to 9.7 % (95 % CI, 9.3 %–10.2 %). Compared to the US-born citizens, the adjusted prevalence ratio was 1.63 (95 % CI,1.57–1.69) for recent immigrants, 1.22 (95 % CI, 1.13–1.31) for long-term immigrants, and 0.94 (95 % CI, 0.90–0.98) for naturalized citizens. Significant disparities exist in subgroups. Conclusions: The findings provide insights for stakeholders to address food insecurity among vulnerable immigrant groups in the US.