Food insecurity in Indiana: 1 in 7 Hoosiers struggling to access daily necessities

If you do not have problems getting enough food to feed your family, you probably know someone who does. In Indiana, about one in seven people (and one in five children) face hunger, according to Feeding America. The term “food insecurity” is how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) describes any issues someone may have consistently acquiring enough nutritious food, such as:

• Affording food
• Living near supermarkets or having the transportation to get to one
• Having a job to pay for food
• Having enough food consistently, without interruption
• Having the education to understand nutritional needs

For 18 million households in the United States, this is a growing problem. The USDA’s latest Household Food Security report revealed an alarming increase in food insecurity in this country as well as a deeper divide among those struggling to access enough healthy food.

What causes food insecurity

There are many causes for food scarcity, and what leads to food insecurity can be different for everyone. One of the biggest influences on your food security or food scarcity is where you live. Social determinants of health describe the conditions into which people are born, grow, live and work. Though they can be unfair and unavoidable, these factors heavily influence health inequities.

“The zip code and conditions in which you live and work are among the biggest influences on your health outcomes,” said Kristen Kelley, executive director of Quality and Safety at IU Health. “Food insecurity can result from multiple factors – it can follow a family for generations or happen suddenly. You can go from food secure to insecure overnight with a job loss or a change in your housing situation. It’s a complicated issue to solve for, and it takes broad stakeholder support and partnership across private and public entities to understand food insecurity at a deep level and to address it.”

Why is food insecurity a problem

Food insecurity is a major health problem. It increases Indiana healthcare costs by $1.8 billion each year, according to Feeding America. Not only does food insecurity affect your body through a lack of nutrition, but it also affects your ability to address any existing healthcare needs. Living in an Indianapolis food desert, for example, may mean you’re more likely to eat processed, high-fat and low-nutrition food than fresh fruit and vegetables. It may also mean you have to make difficult decisions about your budget.

“There are people who are managing the cost for their medications and asking themselves if they’ll be able to afford medicine or afford to eat,” said Katie Harris, LCSW, clinical manager of Integrated Social Work at IU Health. “Those are difficult decisions our patients must make. There are food deserts that exist in our state. Instead of having access to a grocery store, where they can get nutritious food, they may live closer to a gas station. Some elderly people do not have the transportation or mobility to get to a grocery store, so we see a lot of our older population being food insecure because of access and isolation.”

How we’re combating hunger in Indiana

IU Health recognizes the important connections between health and food and has continued to fund existing programs and launched several new initiatives to help feed people in communities throughout Indiana. This includes donations to Indianapolis food banks and food pantries across the state, grants to support local farms, team member volunteer work at local food organizations and efforts to change how food insecurity is addressed, both inside its hospitals and within primary care offices.

IU Health Nutrition Hub

The IU Health Nutrition Hub at Methodist Hospital bridges healthcare and access to food. The Hub offers enrolled patients a place to learn more about food and cooking, get health screenings and pick up groceries. Kristen’s team in patient quality was reviewing patient charts when they noticed that food insecurity is a top issue for patients who are struggling.

“In Marion County, we found that upwards of 30% of our neighbors are struggling with some food insecurity,” Kristen said. “If they’re hungry, we would like to solve for this issue—ideally before we address someone’s health needs. We know that food is medicine. By addressing food insecurity in patients with chronic health conditions, they have reported that they have been able to afford their medications because their food expenses are covered. By meeting someone where they are and truly showing you care by helping to provide for those basic needs, it opens the door up to solve for some of those other, complex health and social issues.”

Integrated Social Work program

When a patient’s food insecurity becomes apparent in an IU Health primary care clinic, patients can now connect with a social worker immediately to get the help they need. The new Integrated Social Work program offers one-on-one support for patients identified as having food insecurity through screening questions. In 2024, Katie says about 25% of patients who completed the screener before their primary care visit indicated that they had difficulty accessing food. These patients can access support in person, if their clinic has social workers on staff, or through a quick click on a tablet.

“If a patient has an urgent social work need, they can push a button on a provided iPad and connect to our team for an on-demand social work consultation. We can see them on the screen or contact them to assess their needs for food, transportation or other support,” Katie said. “Food insecurity affects our patients across the state. The beauty of our program is that it expands the reach of our social workers from urban areas to virtually meeting our patients across Indiana.”

Findhelp app

The team also uses the findhelp app, which allows IU Health team members to locate supportive services for patients across the state. This app can suggest local food banks, housing support, and other resources. In 2024, the Integrated Social Work team assisted 1,411 IU Health primary care patients facing food insecurity. This work is critical to the community’s health, as rates of food insecurity continue to climb.

“Ensuring that you’re getting the proper amount of nutrients, proteins, carbs, fats —that is the building block to health. Getting that proper balance in a diet is key,” Kristen said. “It can affect our children’s ability to learn, heal properly from illness and build immunity. Food truly is our first medicine, and at IU Health, we’re trying to bring that back to the forefront.”