P0057 - Social Factors Affecting Enrollment in Free School Lunch Programs in Housing Insecure Youths of San Bernardino County

Introduction: Shelter and food are two core determinants of health. Food insecurity has been linked to poor health outcomes. Since enactment of the National School Lunch Act in 1946, free and discounted school meals have been available for children and youth of low income families. The goal of this research was to assess social factors that influence enrollment of housing insecure youths into these programs.

Method: Youth Hope Foundation provides housing, food, clothing, and education to homeless, runaway, and at-risk youth9. Participants were surveyed by Youth Hope case managers between 2009 and 2019. Information obtained include demographics, social history, and current needs. Survey responses were input into a database for analysis.
Data: There were 834 who identified as currently enrolled in school and were aged 19 and younger. Of these youths, 565 were receiving free school lunches and 127 were not receiving free school lunches (136 had no response). Two populations were compared: participants receiving free lunches, and those who were not receiving free lunches. Data from this study revealed that students born outside California were less likely to receive free lunch (P=0.02). Physical, sexual, mental, and emotional abuse did not significantly impact enrollment in free lunch programs. Interestingly, students with history of verbal abuse were more likely to receive free lunch (P=0.03). Those who were never abused also were more likely to receive free lunch (P=0.03). Participants who sleep at their parents’ homes and those who lived in boys and girls’ clubs were more likely to receive free lunches (P= 0.03 and P= 0.02, respectively). Other housing history (ran away in the past, living on the streets, or currently living at other locations) did not significantly affect enrollment in free lunch programs. Racial delineations revealed that Caucasian participants were less likely to be enrolled in free lunch programs (P=0.002), and Hispanic participants were more likely to be enrolled in free lunch programs (0.0001). All other racial groups did not show significant differences in the two populations (receiving vs. not receiving free lunch).

Conclusion: Our data suggests that sleeping arrangements, history of abuse, being born outside California. and racial delineations play a factor in whether youths receive free lunches in San Bernardino County. Children who are housing insecure and stop in at shelters are more likely to be food insecure, and our data indicates that further work needs to be done to better understand barriers to enrollment in free school lunch programs.