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Barriers to Nutrition Security in the US
Caroline E Owens1,2, Ronit Ridberg1, Julia Reedy Sharib1
1Food Is Medicine Institute, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts.
JAMA Network Open
|June 30, 2026
Summary
Barriers to nutrition security are linked to health conditions and vary by demographics. Addressing these challenges is crucial for public health and clinical interventions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Nutrition Science
- Health Disparities
Background:
- Nutrition security is a key health determinant, yet barriers remain understudied.
- Identifying these barriers is essential for effective health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine associations between barriers to healthy eating, their prevalence across sociodemographics, and their links to health conditions.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study using a US population-based survey (N=3000) with oversampling for low-income adults.
- Assessed nutrition security barriers via the Nutrition Security Screener.
- Analyzed associations with health conditions (diabetes, obesity, heart disease, etc.) using multivariable regressions stratified by nutrition security status.
Main Results:
- A higher number of nutrition security barriers correlated with increased prevalence of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
- Specific barriers varied by race/ethnicity; Black adults faced more transportation barriers, and Hispanic/Latinx adults faced more nutrition assistance barriers.
- Barriers clustered into two main factors, explaining over 60% of the variance.
Conclusions:
- Barriers to nutrition security are interconnected, differ across demographic groups, and are associated with various chronic diseases.
- Findings support targeted clinical, public health, and policy initiatives to improve nutrition security and health outcomes.
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