My community has the benefit of being looped into the overall Schenectady county, which has worked to gather resources for the individual local communities that encompass it. Health disparities are seen as “differences in the health outcomes that are closely linked with social, economic, and environmental disadvantages”. As a result, achieving health equity will require addressing such social and environmental determinants with a focus on those communities experiencing the greatest disparities. With the focus being on low income communities, health is embedded in larger conditions through the places we live, work, socialize and eat. The Healthy Capital District Initiative is a group pushing to make measurable and sustainable progress in the public health of the Capital Region.
Who is the HCDI?
One of the biggest factors addressed by the Healthy Capital District Initiative included food. This relates to poverty and access to health. Using census-tract level information for the capital region county of Schenectady, you can see how it relates to food insecurity and healthy food access in comparison to a statewide level.
Poor health is very often correlated to poor diets and unhealthy weight. Bad diets can lead to an increased risk of many health conditions such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and some forms of cancers. The HCDI has been working to promote health and reduce chronic disease through the consumption of healthy diets and achievement and maintenance of healthy body weights. This goal also includes eliminating hunger and increasing food security. In addition, NYS Department of Health’s Prevention Agenda identified Reducing Obesity in Children and Adults as a Focus Area under Preventing Chronic Diseases. One of its goals is to create community environments that promote and support healthy food and beverage choices and physical activity.
Correlation Between Poverty & Food Disparities
Food insecurity evaluates access to health foods but also a family’s ability to afford and secure healthy foods. The access of health in neighborhoods can influence health due to lack of nutritious food with the addition of a large exposure to fast food stores. Supermarkets usually give healthier options than convenience stores. The disparities in the placement of stores across the county can be reflected in numbers gathered from the most recent census. In NYS, about 2.7 million residents or 13.5% of the population were food insecure. Although it was lower than the NYS rates, the percentage of capital region residents that were “food insecure” was 11.5 %. 44,700 Capital Region low-income residents had very low healthy food access. The Capital Region rate (19.5) was 2.5 times higher than that of NYS (7.5%) with Schenectady having the highest rates in the regions (22.9%). It is scary to think of the role that poverty has when it comes to deciding how a family will be fed on a day to day basis. In relation to poverty about ¼ of the Capital Region is at or below 185% Federal Poverty Level (FPL). The level indicates a measure of eligibility for some food subsidy programs such as ReducedCost Lunch and Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). For more census tract information on social determinants of health in the Capital Region please visit the HCDI health equity report at http://www.hcdiny.org/content/sites/hcdi/equity_reports/SDOH_Report_Narrative_Final.pdf
Overall it can be scary seeing percentages regarding food disparities and access to adequate food rival that of the entire state. But thankfully initiatives like WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children), Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP), or Free or Reduced lunch at schools, is helping to combat these food related access to health issues. For more information to see if you qualify for any of these relief programs, please click on the following links attached to the listed programs above!