Overview of supplemental issue: Research findings on food access, nutrition security, and health outcomes

Access to nutritious food is a social determinant of health and should be available to every individual, every family, and every community. Yet, this is not the reality today. In the United States, 47.4 million people, including 13.8 million children, experience food insecurity. Additionally, poor nutrition has become a major contributor to illness, with 85% of health care spending going towards diet-related chronic diseases. These challenges disproportionately affect certain groups, such as Black and Hispanic households, urban and rural communities, and families living with low incomes.

At Instacart, we recognize the critical link between nutrition and health. This recognition is exemplified by our collaboration with the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved (JHCPU) to showcase innovative research on food access, nutrition security, and their impact on health outcomes in this supplemental issue. This issue provides research that describes the challenges of food access, frameworks to bridge food access and nutrition security gaps, and examples of how effective programs and interventions can promote health and well-being—particularly among historically marginalized communities.