Graduation Year
2026
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Reader 1
Elise Ferree
Reader 2
Adrian Pantoja
Abstract
The U.S. social welfare system includes programs aiming to increase access to nutritious food to reduce nutrition insecurity. However, studies suggest that immigrants continue to face disproportionate risks of nutrition insecurity and may face barriers to enrollment due to legal status. This study, using secondary data from the 2023 California Health Interview Survey, examines the associations between food stamp participation, food insecurity, and clinical diagnosis of diabetes among adult U.S.-born, naturalized, and non-citizen adults in California. The findings suggest that those enrolled in food stamps are more likely to report food insecurity than those who are not enrolled, and that non-citizen food stamp participants benefit most from enrolling in these programs. Food stamp participation was demonstrated to not be a reliable predictor of receiving a clinical diagnosis of diabetes, regardless of citizenship status. Additional research is necessary to observe how such associations vary across specific legal statuses, like asylum or refugee status, to identify further gaps in food assistance programs.
Recommended Citation
Kang, Esther, "Food Stamp Participation and Health Outcomes in CA Immigrants" (2026). Scripps Senior Theses. 2837.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/2837
Included in
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Health Law and Policy Commons, Health Policy Commons, Health Services Research Commons, Human and Clinical Nutrition Commons, Immigration Law Commons, Medicine and Health Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Public Interest Commons, Public Policy Commons, Social Justice Commons, Social Policy Commons, Social Welfare Commons, Social Welfare Law Commons, State and Local Government Law Commons
