Arkansas
UAMS Researchers Link Pandemic to Increased Food Insecurity in Arkansas – UAMS News
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| FAYETTEVILLE — Researchers on the College of Arkansas for Medical Sciences discovered that 1 in 4 Arkansans confronted meals insecurity within the first a number of months of the COVID-19 pandemic, in keeping with a examine revealed not too long ago in Dialogues in Well being.
The examine, “COVID-19 and Meals Insecurity in a Weak Rural State,” analyzed varied elements associated to meals insecurity in Arkansas in the course of the summer time of 2020. The examine discovered that monetary elements particular to the COVID-19 pandemic, corresponding to earnings loss, have been related to increased odds of experiencing meals insecurity.
Researchers additionally discovered that racial and ethnic minorities, significantly Hispanic and Black Arkansans, skilled the very best charge of meals insecurity, even after individuals acquired their first COVID-19 Financial Influence stimulus verify.
“This examine confirmed that most of the similar social patterns of meals insecurity that existed earlier than the pandemic have been amplified in the course of the pandemic,” mentioned Don Willis, Ph.D., a researcher on the examine and an assistant professor within the Workplace of Neighborhood Well being & Analysis. “Nonetheless, we additionally added new insights into how experiences and coverage responses associated on to the pandemic — corresponding to earnings loss and stimulus funds — formed meals insecurity in the course of the summer time of 2020. Our findings spotlight the necessity for insurance policies which can be efficient in offering susceptible teams with the suitable financial help they want throughout a public well being disaster.”
Meals insecurity is outlined as a scarcity of constant entry to meals that’s secure, satisfactory, culturally acceptable and nutritious. It may be non permanent or lengthy lasting. Research have discovered that meals insecurity throughout america elevated to 38%, with greater than one-third of the meals insecure inhabitants reporting they have been newly meals insecure. Earlier than the pandemic, about 11% of the U.S. inhabitants was meals insecure, in keeping with Feeding America.
About 25% of examine individuals reported they’d skilled meals insecurity in the summertime of 2020. Earlier information signifies that about 13% of Arkansans skilled meals insecurity previous to the COVID-19 pandemic. In accordance with Feeding America, about 17% of Arkansans face starvation right this moment, and about 24% of Arkansas youngsters face restricted entry to wholesome meals.
UAMS is the state’s solely well being sciences college, with schools of Drugs, Nursing, Pharmacy, Well being Professions and Public Well being; a graduate faculty; a hospital; a primary campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide community of regional campuses; and 7 institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Most cancers Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Backbone & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Analysis Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Ageing, Translational Analysis Institute and Institute for Digital Well being & Innovation. UAMS consists of UAMS Well being, a statewide well being system that encompasses all of UAMS’ scientific enterprise. UAMS is the one grownup Degree 1 trauma middle within the state. U.S. Information & World Report acknowledged UAMS Medical Heart as a Finest Hospital for 2021-22; ranked its ear, nostril and throat program among the many prime 50 nationwide for the third yr; and named 5 areas as excessive performing — colon most cancers surgical procedure, diabetes, hip substitute, knee substitute and stroke. UAMS has 3,047 college students, 873 medical residents and fellows, and 6 dental residents. It’s the state’s largest public employer with greater than 11,000 staff, together with 1,200 physicians who present care to sufferers at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Youngsters’s, the VA Medical Heart and Baptist Well being. Go to www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Discover us on Fb, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.
The UAMS Northwest Regional Campus consists of 288 medical, pharmacy, nursing and well being professions college students, 64 medical and pharmacy residents, two sports activities drugs fellows, and 1,000 community-based college. The campus has 9 clinics together with a student-led clinic and bodily, occupational and speech remedy. School conduct analysis to cut back well being disparities. Go to www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Discover us on Fb, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.