RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The Persistence of Food Security Status Across Generations
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 0222-12163R2
DO 10.3368/jhr.0222-12163R2
A1 Paul Hartley, Robert
A1 Nam, Jaehyun
A1 Wimer, Christopher
YR 2025
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2025/08/01/jhr.0222-12163R2.abstract
AB The persistence of disadvantage across generations is a central concern for social policy in the United States. While an extensive literature has focused on income mobility, much less is known about the persistence of material hardship. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we estimate the intergenerational persistence of food insecurity. Childhood food insecurity is associated with at least 10 percentage points higher probability of food insecurity as an adult, with estimates varying by severity of childhood exposure, life-course timing, and accounting for endogeneity and underreporting. We explore potential mechanisms behind this persistence related to perceptions, behaviors, and human capital.