GIS for Public Health

INTRODUCTION

 

Food insecurity is the most broadly-used measure of food deprivation in the United States. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as “consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year.”

 

Throughout the United States and even around the world there is an issue of food insecurity. Many families do not have the access or ability to attain food either because of income or due to their location. There are many families around the world who are living in poverty and cannot afford food. Not only does the location of where families live but also the location of the food markets and supermarkets affect whether or not families will be able to have access to food.

In some areas of the United States there are not food markets or supermarkets and in other areas there are so many. Most rural areas only have one supermarket available to those around and some might have to travel 10 miles or more to get there while urban areas typically have more options with a supermarket on every corner. 

 

 

PROJECT GOAL

 

The main goal for this project was to analyze food security in the upstate region of South Carolina based on existing resources, accessibility to food markets, and socioeconomic factors.

According to Life Sciences Research Office (LSRO), Food insecurity exists whenever the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or the ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways is limited or uncertain .

 

According to data from Feeding America during 2009-2013, in the United States 1 in 7 people are suffering from hunger and there are 49,078,000 food insecure people which is about 15.8% of the total population . The food insecurity rate in South Carolina is 17.1%. In the Upstate region of South Carolina which covers five counties Spartanburg, Pickens, Oconee, Greenville and Anderson. Spartanburg is the most food insecure county in South Carolina (see Figure 1) with an estimated number of 42,980 food insecure people .