Title page
Contents
Abstract 3
Acknowledgments 3
A report summary from the Economic Research Service 5
Introduction 7
Data 9
Modifications to the CPS-FSS Test Instrument 10
Methods and Results: Food Spending 11
Methods and Results: Food Security Measures 14
Questions Used To Assess the Food Security of Households in the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement 19
Methods and Results: Federal Nutrition Assistance 24
Methods and Results: Community Nutrition Assistance 27
Conclusions 30
References 31
Appendix A: Test Questionnaire-September 2020 Food Security Supplement 33
Table 1. Median weekly household food spending per person and relative to the household cost of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), by instrument version, September 2020 13
Table 2. Characteristics of respondent households with valid food security status, by instrument version, September 2020 21
Table 3. Households by food security status and instrument version, September 2020 23
Table 4. Responses to items in the food security scale, standard instrument and test instrument, September 2020 24
Table 5. Percentage of households by food security status and participation in selected Federal nutrition assistance programs, by instrument version, September 2020 27
Table 6. Use of community nutrition assistance, by standard and test instrument, September 2020 29
Figure 1. Comparisons of the adult food security scale question severity parameters, 2020 September CPS-FSS test versus standard instrument 17
Figure 2. Comparisons of the child food security scale question severity parameters, 2020 September CPS-FSS test versus standard instrument 18