Table 4.

Distribution of Household Food Security Survey Module (FSSM)^a responses by item for Latino/a parents/caregivers in Mejorando la Esperanza en Seguridad Alimentaria (Improving Hope for Food Security)^b (n = 62)

		Result
Question	Response options	n (%)
HHc1: Which of these statements best describes the food eaten in your household in the last 12 months: —enough of the kinds of food (I/we) want to eat; —enough, but not always the kinds of food (I/we) want; —sometimes not enough to eat; or—often not enough to eat?	Enough of the kinds of food we want to eat	7 (11)
	Enough but not always the kinds of food we want	37 (60)
	Sometimes not enough to eat	13 (21)
	Often not enough to eat	3 (5)
	Missing	1 (2)
HH2: “(I/We) worried whether (my/our) food would run out before (I/we) got money to buy more.” Was that often true, sometimes true, or never true for (you/your household) in the last 12 months?	Often true	14 (23)
	Sometimes true	38 (61)
	Never true	10 (16)
HH3: “The food that (I/we) bought just didn’t last, and (I/we) didn’t have money to get more.” Was that often, sometimes, or never true for (you/your household) in the last 12 months?	Often true	12(19)
	Sometimes true	38 (61)
	Never true	12(19)
HH4: “(I/we) couldn’t afford to eat balanced meals.” Was that often, sometimes, or never true for (you/your household) in the last 12 months?	Often true	13 (21)
	Sometimes true	39 (63)
	Never true	9 (15)
	Don’t know or refused	1 (2)
ADd1: In the last 12 months, since last (name of current month), did (you/you or other adults in your household) ever cut the size of your meals or skip meals because there wasn’t enough money for food?	Yes	38 (61)
	No	24 (39)
AD1a: [IF YES ABOVE, ASK] How often did this happen—almost every month, some months but not every month, or in only 1 or 2 months?	Almost every month	7 (11)
	Some months but not every month	16 (26)
	Only 1 or 2 months	13 (21)
	Don’t know or refused	2 (3)
	N/A	24 (39)
AD2: In the last 12 months, did you ever eat less than you felt you should because there wasn’t enough money for food?	Yes	43 (69)
	No	19 (31)
AD3: In the last 12 months, were you every hungry but didn’t eat because there wasn’t enough money for food?	Yes	23 (37)
	No	37 (60)
	Don’t know or refused	1 (2)
	Missing	1 (2)
AD4: In the last 12 months, did you lose weight because there wasn’t enough money for food?	Yes	15 (24)
	No	45 (73)
	Don’t know or refused	1 (2)
	Missing	1 (2)
AD5: In the last 12 months, did (you/you or other adults in your household) ever not eat for a whole day because there wasn’t enough money for food?	Yes	14 (23)
	No	46 (74)
	Missing	2 (3)
AD5a: [IF YES ABOVE, ASK] How often did this happen—almost every month, some months but not every month, or in only 1 or 2 months?	Almost every month	4 (7)
	Some months but not every month	7 (11)
	Only 1 or 2 months	2 (3)
	N/A	46 (74)
	Missing	3 (5)
	Often true	8 (13)
CHe1: “(I/we) relied on only a few kinds of low-cost food to feed (my/our) child/the children) because (I was/we were) running out of money to buy food.” Was that often, sometimes, or never true for (you/your household) in the last 12 months?	Sometimes true	42 (68)
	Never true	6 (10)
	Missing	6 (10)
CH2: “(I/We) couldn’t feed (my/our) child/the children) a balanced meal, because (I/we) couldn’t afford that.” Was that often, sometimes, or never true for (you/your household) in the last 12 months?	Often true	6 (10)
	Sometimes true	33 (53)
	Never true	16 (26)
	Missing	7 (11)
CH3: “(My/Our child was/The children were) not eating enough because (I/we) just couldn’t afford enough food.” Was that often, sometimes, or never true for (you/your household) in the last 12 months?	Often true	1 (2)
	Sometimes true	24 (39)
	Never true	30 (48)
	Missing	7 (11)
CH4: In the last 12 months, since (current month) of last year, did you ever cut the size of (your child’s/any of the children’s) meals because there wasn’t enough money for food?	Yes	20 (32)
	No	35 (57)
	Missing	7 (11)
CH5: In the last 12 months, did (CHILD’S NAME/any of the children) ever skip meals because there wasn’t enough money for food?	Yes	8 (13)
	No	47 (76)
	Missing	7 (11)
CH5a: [IF YES ABOVE ASK] How often did this happen—almost every month, some months but not every month, or in only 1 or 2 months?	Almost every month	1 (2)
	Some months but not every month	4 (7)
	Only 1 or 2 months	3 (5)
	N/A	47 (76)
	Missing	7 (11)
CH6: In the last 12 months, (was your child/were the children) ever hungry but you just couldn’t afford more food?	Yes	12(19)
	No	40 (65)
	Don’t Know or Refused	2 (3)
	Missing	8 (13)
CH7: In the last 12 months, did (your child/any of the children) ever not eat for a whole day because there wasn’t enough money for food?	Yes	1 (2)
	No	53 (86)
	Missing	8 (13)

^aFSSM items available at https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/survey-tools/.

^bData are for Proyecto MESA participants from California, New York, and Texas. Items marked as not applicable (N/A) reflect skip patterns within FSSM. Missing items for child items due to insufficient time in interview.

^cHH = household-referenced items.

^dAD = adult-referenced items.

^eCH = child-referenced items.