The complex food insecurity context experienced by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the U.S.

• In Event: Barriers and Facilitators of Community Living for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

Information about the food insecurity context of households that include persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who reside in the U.S. is needed to inform nutrition policy and practice. Guided by an Advisory Committee that included a mix of persons with IDD, family members of people with IDD, experts on food and nutritionsecurity, and experts on programs and services that support persons with IDD,we conducted 20 in-depth virtual interviews including 22 low-income food insecure adults with IDD and family members of children with IDD during late 2024 and early 2025.  Two researchers conducted each interview, with one leading the interview and the other taking notes. Each interview was recorded and transcribed. The final sample of 22 people included representation from each Census region of the country (3 from the Northeast, 5 from the Midwest, 7 from the South, and 7 from the West). Half were White or European American, 82 percent were women, and the average age of the participants was 41. One of the interviews was conducted in Spanish and the remainder were conducted in English. Six people (27%) were adults with IDD and 16 people (73%) were parents of someone with IDD. We used rapid qualitative analysis techniques to analyze the transcribed interview data and verified the results through member checking and through feedback from the Advisory Committee. The study results show that low-income households that include a person with IDD often struggle to access the food necessary for their households due to a complex interaction of dietary requirements, economic factors, food acquisition challenges, and limitations in the ability to prepare healthy foods. These households also face barriers toaccessing public (e.g., Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and community-based (e.g., food pantries) nutrition assistance programs and find the supports available through these programs inadequate.  These findings enhance our understanding of the food insecurity context for people with IDD and provide foundational evidence about the need to develop screening tools, policies, and practices that encompass the full range of food security experiences borne by people with IDD.

Author

• Debra Brucker, University of New Hampshire
  Presenting Author