Appendix 114-D Assessment Instruments for Non-Medicaid Home and Community Based Services: Food Security Survey

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Georgia Division of Aging Services
Home and Community-Based Services Manual

Chapter:

100

Effective Date:

Section Title:

Food Security Survey

Reviewed or Updated in:

MT 2020-01

Section Number:

Appendix 114-D

Previous Update:

The Six-Item Food Security Scale was developed by researchers at the National Center for Health Statistics in collaboration with Abt Associates Inc. and documented in the American Journal of Public Health, vol. 89, pp. 1231-34, 1999. The survey has been shown to identify food-insecure households and households with very low food security with reasonably high specificity. The instrument does not directly ask about children’s food security, and does not measure the most severe range of adult food insecurity, in which children’s food intake is likely to be reduced. The original version asks each question in the relative time period of the last 12 months; however, DAS use a relative time period of the last 30 days.

This survey, six simple questions, will help us determine what areas of the state are the most food insecure, will help us to prioritize our wait lists, will help us to refer the appropriate clients to other nutrition support programs like SNAP, will help us to make our case with legislators, will help us to apply for funding to address this issue and help us to identify those individuals most in need. Here are the six questions: Scores are indicated in {}.

  1. During the last 30 days, how often was this statement true: The food that we bought just didn’t last, and we didn’t have money to get more?

    1. Often {1}

    2. Sometimes {1}

    3. Never {0}

  2. During the last 30 days, how often was this statement true: We couldn’t afford to eat balanced meals?

    1. Often {1}

    2. Sometimes {1}

    3. Never {0}

  3. In the past 30 days, did you or other adults in your household ever cut the size of your meals because there wasn’t enough money for food?

    1. Yes {1}

    2. No {0}

  4. In the past 30 days, did you or other adults in your household ever skip meals because there wasn’t enough money for food?

    1. Yes {1}

    2. No {0}

  5. In the last 30 days, did you ever eat less than you felt you should because there wasn’t enough money for food?

    1. Yes {1}

    2. No {0}

  6. In the last 30 days, were you ever hungry but didn’t eat because there wasn’t enough money for food?

    1. Yes {1}

    2. No {0}

Scores of 0-1 indicate High Food Security
Scores of 2-4 indicate Low Food Security
Scores of 5-6 indicate Very Low Food Security

The Food Security Survey is in the DAS data system and will score itself. The survey can be administered over the phone or face to face. It should be administered at the time of intake, six months after receiving services and at annual reassessments.