Social determinants of rural food security: Findings from Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Abstract

Rural food insecurity is understudied, although many rural-specific characteristics influence rural food security. We used a mixed-mode survey to investigate how economic conditions, food support measures, and geospatial patterns impact rural residents' food insecurity in the six-county region of Michigan's Western Upper Peninsula. Three nested ordinal logistic regressions identify that household income and costs significantly influence rural food insecurity probability. Lack of time is also a key factor in increasing food insecurity probability. The ability to drive oneself to access food offsets the negative impacts of living a far distance from retail food locations; yet, transportation remains a barrier to food access in the region's harsh winters. About 38% of eligible respondents use food assistance programs, yet their use does not improve food security probability. Engagement in informal foodways mitigates food insecurity to some degree.