Changes in Feeding America Client and Agency Characteristics: Health Status

Feb 01, 2010
  • Description

Chapter 15.4 examines changes in health status and the ability to pay medical bills between 2005 and 2009. Key Findings:

  • The percentage of clients at all program sites that are in poor health decreased from 16.4% to 15.6%; however, the percentage of clients that indicated someone else in the household was in poor health increased from 17.1% to 19.0%.
  • The percentage of clients that had unpaid medical bills increased from 41.4% to 46.5%. The magnitude of the increase was similar for pantries, kitchens, and shelters.
(Excerpted from Hunger in America 2010.)