With the federal government now in a shutdown and food prices continuing to rise, a public health expert at Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research is available to discuss how these combined pressures are intensifying food insecurity across the country.
Luz Maria Garcini, director of the Kinder Institute's Center for Community and Public Health and associate professor of psychological sciences, can speak to how the "perfect storm" of furloughed paychecks, disrupted benefits and rising food prices puts low-income and vulnerable households at greatest risk, while also straining food assistance systems. She also provides context on local and national data, implications for health equity and evidence-based approaches to mitigate these challenges.
Garcini's research examines the social determinants of health with a focus on immigrant and underserved communities. She studies how structural barriers, policy environments and economic stressors - including inflation and access to social safety nets - affect food security, health outcomes and resilience.
