Track: Data Analytics

Abstract

Food insecurity hinders individuals from the healthy and sustainable life they truly deserve. Unfortunately, food insecurity and chronic health diseases affect millions of people across the United States. Food banks are constantly fighting the uphill battle against food insecurity to supply adequate, relevant, healthy meals to those who need them. Oftentimes hunger relief organizations lack data and software tools that could aid strategic decision making. A local food bank faces this exact problem and is struggling to find clients that face chronic health diseases in their service area. This study uses data from the local food bank to develop visualizations that investigate the health considerations of the population they serve. The results easily found a specific county with the largest number of health considerations and a zip code with the highest number of individuals facing hypertension. Dominant chronic health considerations highlight the importance for food banks to diversify their food selections. It is important for the local food bank to know what foods are essential within each county and zip code area to provide services that will be valuable to those who need them. This study benefits food banks so they can yield better service to the community.