Health Reports, August 2024

Having a disability is associated with a higher prevalence of household food insecurity

In 2021, more than 6.9 million Canadians experienced varying degrees of household food insecurity. It is a persistent public health issue that can range from not being able to afford enough food to living with the uncertainty of being able to do so.

Persons with a disability are at a higher risk of experiencing food insecurity. The study "Household food insecurity among persons with disabilities in Canada: Findings from the 2021 Canadian Income Survey," released today in Health Reports, estimates the prevalence of household food insecurity among Canadian Income Survey participants with a disability, by type, number and severity of disability, which has not been examined in a Canadian sample before.

This study found that more than one in four persons with a disability (26.4%) lived in a food insecure household in 2021, compared with 12.5% of those without a disability. Almost 8% of persons with a disability reported experiencing severe levels of household food insecurity, compared with 2% of persons without a disability.

Persons with a learning, memory or seeing disability have higher household food insecurity

Results indicated that, in 2021, persons with a learning, memory or seeing disability had the highest prevalence of overall household food insecurity, at around 36% for each of those groups. The prevalence of severe household food insecurity for persons with three or more disabilities (13.6%) was more than two times higher than that for those with one disability (4.8%).

Certain groups with a disability face higher levels of severe household food insecurity

To address a gap in understanding, this study also examined the prevalence of marginal, moderate and severe household food insecurity among persons with a disability, disaggregated by several demographic and socioeconomic factors. In 2021, certain groups faced higher levels of household food insecurity than others. For example, the study found that persons with a disability who identified as an Indigenous person, were unemployed, or were in a lower income quintile reported experiencing significantly higher levels of severe household food insecurity than other groups.

Even after accounting for multiple factors, including income and employment, the association between disability and food insecurity remains strong

Multivariable analysis revealed that, in 2021, the odds of household food insecurity were 2.5 times higher for persons with a disability compared with those without a disability, even after accounting for age, sex, marital status, household education, type of household arrangements, region of residence and economic resources.

Persons with a disability often incur higher health care costs and have precarious employment, which can strain their budget and leave insufficient funds for food expenses.

Reducing food insecurity is identified as a key indicator to measure the effectiveness of Canada's first Poverty Reduction Strategy. Findings from this study can help inform the improvement of social development programs aimed to reduce health and social inequalities for persons with a disability.