Language Proficiency, Citizenship, and Food Insecurity among Predominantly Immigrant Caribbean Latinos in Massachusetts: A Masters Thesis

TL;DRAbstract

BACKGROUND: Latinos report higher food insecurity than the national average, and food insecurity has been associated with adverse health outcomes wherein Latinos experience disparities. This study quantified the independent effects of languagespeaking proficiency and citizenship on increased food insecurity among a predominantly immigrant Caribbean Latino sample in Lawrence, Massachusetts. METHODS: The analytic sample comprised 574 participants aged 21-83 who visited a community health center in 2011-2013. Food insecurity was assessed via the 6-item US Household Food Security Survey. Multivariable logistic modeling (adjusted for selfreported age group, gender, education, and marital status) examined the independent associations between language proficiency and citizenship on increased food insecurity. RESULTS: One-third of participants were classified as food insecure. Most respondents were citizens (59.5%), foreign-born (92.4%; 70.3% from the Dominican Republic), and spoke monolingual

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