Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
06:15
A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
Less than One Meal Per Day: Food Insecurity and Deprivation Among Indigenous Oaxacan Farmworkers in California
Hannah R Thompson1,2, Graciela Chong3, Katharina C Fiedler4
1Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Oakland, USA. hrthomp@ucanr.edu.
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
|July 22, 2026
Summary
Indigenous migrant farmworkers in California face severe food insecurity and poor wellbeing. Most households struggle to afford adequate meals and housing, highlighting critical policy gaps.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Farmworker wellbeing and food insecurity are documented issues, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Indigenous migrant farmworker communities in California, representing over 40% of the labor force, remain understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess wellbeing and food insecurity among Oaxacan Indigenous migrant farmworker households in California's Central Valley.
- To be the first study to utilize the Self-Reliance Index (SRI) within this specific population.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods approach was employed with 40 Oaxacan Indigenous migrant farmworker households (2022-2023).
- A collaborative researcher-community approach involved community researchers and the Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño.
- The Self-Reliance Index (SRI) was administered alongside collaboratively developed qualitative questions.
Main Results:
- A significant majority (72.5%) reported eating only one full meal or less daily.
- 35% of households lived in inadequate housing conditions.
- Severe food insecurity, food deprivation, housing instability, and employment instability were prevalent.
Conclusions:
- Indigenous migrant farmworkers experience profound food insecurity and wellbeing challenges, impacting self-reliance.
- Existing policies and programs in the California Central Valley are insufficient to support this essential workforce.
- Urgent policy and programmatic interventions are needed to improve food access for Indigenous migrant food workers.
Related Concept Videos
00:48Optimal Foraging
How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.
01:24Metabolic States of the Body: Fasting and Starvation
During the initial hours of fasting, the body uses up its glycogen stores as an energy source. Once these glycogen reserves are depleted, the body begins breaking down stored triglycerides and structural proteins. During this stage, glycerol becomes a key substrate for gluconeogenesis, while free fatty acids undergo beta-oxidation to provide energy for tissues, such as skeletal muscle. In the fasting state, the body spares protein breakdown as much as possible to conserve muscle and structural...
01:29Sources of Food Contamination
Contamination of food by microbial agents and natural toxins poses significant risks to public health. These hazards can be introduced at various points across the food supply chain, ranging from environmental sources to processing and storage stages. Understanding these contamination pathways is critical for developing strategies to ensure food safety.Seafood is particularly vulnerable to contamination through both environmental exposure and microbial colonization. Toxins from harmful algal...
01:13Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation
Insufficient sleep refers to not getting the recommended amount of sleep for optimal functioning, even if it's just slightly less than needed. Sleep insufficiency may occur due to lifestyle choices, such as staying up late for social events or work, resulting in routinely getting less sleep than required. For example, consistently sleeping 6 hours when the body needs 7-9 hours can lead to cumulative effects on health and well-being.
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
01:25Primary Motives: Hunger and Thirst
Hunger and thirst are fundamental physiological drives crucial for maintaining homeostasis and ensuring the survival of both humans and animals. These drives are regulated through complex interactions between the brain, hormones, and sensory receptors.
Hunger arises when the brain detects changes in the body's nutrient levels, including glucose, lipids, amino acids, and hormones such as ghrelin and leptin. The hypothalamus plays a central role in hunger regulation. The lateral hypothalamus acts...
Hunger arises when the brain detects changes in the body's nutrient levels, including glucose, lipids, amino acids, and hormones such as ghrelin and leptin. The hypothalamus plays a central role in hunger regulation. The lateral hypothalamus acts...
01:29Oxygen Requirements and Growth Patterns
Microorganisms exhibit diverse oxygen requirements and growth patterns driven by their metabolic strategies and environmental adaptations. Oxygen, while essential for many organisms, can also be toxic under certain conditions, shaping how microorganisms grow and survive.Oxygen Requirements of MicroorganismsMicroorganisms are classified based on their ability to use or tolerate oxygen:● Obligate aerobes like Mycobacterium tuberculosis need oxygen for energy production, as it serves as the...