Long COVID and Food Insecurity in US Adults, 2022-2023

Is food insecurity associated with increased risk of long COVID (ie, post–COVID-19 condition) and lower odds of recovery among US adults with prior COVID-19 infection?In this survey study of 21 631 US adults who previously had COVID-19, those who experienced food insecurity were more likely to report post–COVID-19 condition. Specifically, food insecurity was associated with a 78% higher chance of having current long COVID and a 34% lower chance of recovering from it; however, participation in food assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and being employed appeared to reduce these risks.These findings suggest that food insecurity may be an important and modifiable risk factor for long COVID and that strengthening access to programs like SNAP, raising awareness, and simplifying enrollment could help reduce the health burden of long COVID.

Corresponding Author: Jaya Aysola, MD, MPH, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 423 Guardian Dr, 1229 Blockley Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (jaysola@upenn.edu).

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