Dual Burden of Food and Water Insecurity Among SNAP Households with Children in the Southern United States
Highlights
- Food insecurity and water insecurity are critical yet often separately examined social determinants of health that disproportionately relate to low-income households in the United States (U.S.); their co-occurrence represents a compounded burden with implications for health equity and well-being.
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households with children in the Southern U.S. face heightened vulnerability due to intersecting socioeconomic disadvantage, environmental stressors, and infrastructure inequities, positioning them at increased risk of multiple, overlapping resource insecurities.
- This study provides empirical evidence of a substantial co-occurrence of food and water insecurity, with nearly half of households experiencing both simultaneously, extending existing research by quantifying this dual burden among SNAP households with children in the Southern U.S.
- The strong association observed between food insecurity and water insecurity suggests that these conditions reflect interconnected dimensions of material hardship, highlighting the limitations of assessing food insecurity in isolation when evaluating household-level vulnerability.
- Public health practitioners and policy makers should adopt integrated, multisector approaches that address both food and water access, recognizing their combined influence on health outcomes and the need for coordinated intervention strategies.
- Incorporating water insecurity into routine surveillance systems may improve identification of high-risk households and support more equitable and effective resource allocation.
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Methods
2.1. Study Design and Sample
2.2. Measure
2.3. Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Sample Characteristics
3.2. Water Insecurity
3.3. Prevalence of Food and Water Insecurity
3.4. Association Between Food Insecurity and Water Insecurity
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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| Characteristic | Category | n (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | Male | 340 (49.8) |
| Female | 342 (50.1) | |
| Race/Ethnicity | Non-Hispanic White | 462 (67.6) |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 122 (17.9) | |
| Hispanic/Latino | 72 (10.5) | |
| Other | 27 (4.0) | |
| Education | High school or less | 166 (24.3) |
| Some college/associate | 129 (18.9) | |
| Bachelor’s or higher | 388 (56.8) | |
| Employment | Employed (full/part-time) | 566 (82.9) |
| Unemployed | 77 (11.3) | |
| Other | 40 (5.8) | |
| Household Size | 1 person | 10 (1.5) |
| 2–3 persons | 200 (29.3) | |
| ≥4 persons | 473 (69.3) | |
| Children in Household | 1–2 children | 554 (81.1) |
| ≥3 children | 129 (18.9) |
| Experience | 0 Times (%) | 1–3 Times (%) | >3 Times (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worry about not having enough water | 45.3 | 23.8 | 30.9 |
| Had to change plans due to water problems | 48.7 | 21.9 | 29.4 |
| Not enough water to drink as preferred | 47.1 | 22.6 | 30.3 |
| Unable to wash hands due to water problems | 49.5 | 21.4 | 29.1 |
| Average across experiences | 47.7 | 22.4 | 29.9 |
| Outcome | n (%) |
|---|---|
| Food Insecurity Status | |
| Food-secure | 170 (24.9) |
| Food-insecure | 513 (75.1) |
| Water Insecurity Status | |
| Water-secure | 315 (46.1) |
| Water-insecure | 368 (53.9) |
| Co-Occurrence (Dual Burden Categories) | |
| Food- and water-secure | 134 (19.6) |
| Food-insecure only | 181 (26.5) |
| Water-insecure only | 36 (5.3) |
| Both food- and water-insecure | 332 (48.6) |
| Variable | AOR | 95% CI | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity score | 1.33 | 1.26–1.40 | <0.001 |
| Household size (2–3 vs. 1) | 0.58 | 0.14–2.50 | 0.468 |
| Household size (4+ vs. 1) | 0.72 | 0.17–3.00 | 0.647 |
| Children (3+ vs. 1–2) | 0.64 | 0.41–1.00 | 0.050 |
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Pradhananga, N.; Enriquez, J.P.; Okronipa, H.; Holston, D.; Sadler, J.M. Dual Burden of Food and Water Insecurity Among SNAP Households with Children in the Southern United States. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2026, 23, 891. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23070891
Pradhananga N, Enriquez JP, Okronipa H, Holston D, Sadler JM. Dual Burden of Food and Water Insecurity Among SNAP Households with Children in the Southern United States. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2026; 23(7):891. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23070891
Chicago/Turabian StylePradhananga, Nila, Jean Pierre Enriquez, Harriet Okronipa, Denise Holston, and Jeffrey M. Sadler. 2026. "Dual Burden of Food and Water Insecurity Among SNAP Households with Children in the Southern United States" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 23, no. 7: 891. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23070891
APA StylePradhananga, N., Enriquez, J. P., Okronipa, H., Holston, D., & Sadler, J. M. (2026). Dual Burden of Food and Water Insecurity Among SNAP Households with Children in the Southern United States. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(7), 891. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23070891

