Influence
March 19, 2025

Screening for Food Insecurity: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement

Sarah Wiehe, MD

Published in JAMA Here is a link to the article.

Regenstrief Institute authors: Sarah Wiehe, MD, MPH

Abstract
Importance: According to survey data, 12.8% of households experienced food insecurity in 2022, with 7.7% of households experiencing low food security and 5.1% experiencing very low food security. Nearly one-third of households with incomes below the federal poverty threshold are food insecure. Food insecurity is one among a multitude of medical, psychological, and social conditions common among economically disadvantaged households.

Objective: The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) commissioned a systematic review to evaluate the evidence on the benefits and harms of screening for food insecurity in the health care setting.

Population: Children, adolescents, and adults.

Evidence assessment: The USPSTF concludes that the evidence is insufficient and the balance of benefits and harms for screening for food insecurity on health outcomes in the primary care setting cannot be determined.

Recommendation: The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for food insecurity on health outcomes in the primary care setting. (I statement).

Authors:

US Preventive Services Task ForceWanda K Nicholson 1Michael Silverstein 2John B Wong 3David Chelmow 4Tumaini Rucker Coker 5Alicia Fernandez 6Ericka Gibson 7Carlos Roberto Jaén 8Marie Krousel-Wood 9Sei Lee 6Goutham Rao 10John M Ruiz 11James Stevermer 12Joel Tsevat 8Sandra Millon Underwood 13Sarah Wiehe 14

Affiliations

1George Washington University, Washington, DC.

2Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.

3Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.

4Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.

5University of Washington, Seattle.

6University of California, San Francisco.

7Kaiser Permanente, Atlanta, Georgia.

8University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio.

9Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.

10Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.

11University of Arizona, Tucson.

12University of Missouri, Columbia.

13University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

14Indiana University, Bloomington.

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