A Scoping Review on Food Insecurity Among Asian Americans

We conducted a scoping review to address the knowledge gap concerning the prevalence of food insecurity and participation in food assistance programs among Asian Americans. In 2022, we searched nine databases for peer-reviewed articles. A team of four authors screened 900 records, identifying 35 studies. Ten studies reported food insecurity prevalence for Asian origin groups: 8.3%-41.1% for Filipinos, 13.1%-28.2% for Vietnamese, 6.6%-22.2% for Koreans, 2.3%-11.2% for Japanese, and 47.6% for Hmong. Fourteen studies used Asian language-specific standardized data collection instruments, and nine noted community engagement. Factors associated with food insecurity included lower income, education, acculturation, and limited English proficiency. Studies suggested that SNAP benefits were insufficient, and one reported that barriers to participation involved negative administrative experiences. Our review highlights the need for disaggregated data, multilingual data collection, and community involvement to address food insecurity. Policies and interventions should consider cultural norms, backgrounds, and unique challenges of different Asian groups.