Our Work
WAFOOD: Examining the Impacts of COVID-19 and related factors on Food Systems, Food Security, and Food Access in Washington State
The Washington State (WA) Food Security Surveys (WAFOOD) first launched as an effort to track impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health, economic well-being, and food needs of Washingtonians. As the COVID-19 pandemic continued, WAFOOD survey waves continued to track the economic well-being, food access, and food needs of Washingtonians in response to swift federal expansion and modification of federal, state, and local food assistance programs and efforts. As pandemic-era economic relief ended in 2023 and as food prices continue to increase, WAFOOD surveys continue to track these evolving changes on the food access, food consumption, food expenditures, and food assistance needs of Washingtonians.
The WAFOOD surveys intentionally oversample households with lower incomes and those using food assistance, to provide deeper insights on food insecurity and food assistance use throughout the state.
The study, now in its fifth iteration, provides insights to Washington State agencies and community organizations trying to respond to ongoing shifts in the food system and in food needs of Washington residents. To date, five survey waves have been conducted:
- Wave 1: June – July 2020 (2,615 responses)
- Wave 2: Dec 2020 – Jan 2021 (3,501 responses)
- Wave 3: July – Aug 2021 (3,074 responses)
- Wave 4: Dec 2022 – Jan 2023 (5,502 responses)
- Wave 5: Aug – October 2024 (5,528 responses)
- WAFOOD Brief 16 – Food Security and Food Assistance in the Wake of COVID-19: A 5th Survey (2024) of Washington State Households
- WAFOOD Brief 15 – Washington State Food Security Surveys: Longitudinal findings across survey waves 1-4, 2020-2023
- WAFOOD Brief 14 – Washington State Food Security Surveys: Cross-sectional findings from survey waves 1-4, 2020-2023
- WAFOOD Brief 13 – Food Access and Economic Well-being: Additional findings from a 4th survey of Washington State households
- WAFOOD Brief 12 – Food Security and Food Assistance in the Wake of COVID-19: A 4th Survey of Washington State Households
- WAFOOD Brief 11 – Special Research Brief: Food Security and Barriers to Food Assistance Use in Washington State Households, 2020-2021
- WAFOOD Brief 10 – Food Security and Food Access Amid COVID-19 in Spokane County Households
- WAFOOD Brief 9 – Food Security and Access Amid Covid-19: A Comprehensive Look at the Second Survey of Washington State Households
- Presentation: Economic Security and Food Access in Washington State During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- WAFOOD Brief 8 – Food Insecurity and Food Assistance During COVID-19: Follow-up Survey of Washington State Households
- Presentation: Insights from the Washington Food Security During COVID19 Survey
- WAFOOD Brief 7 – Comparing Food Insecure and Food Secure Washington State Households During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Memorandum: Comparative Food Insecurity in Washington State
- WAFOOD Brief 6 – Mapping COVID-19 Risk Factors by King County ZIP Codes
- WAFOOD Brief 5 – Economic Security and Food Access During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Snohomish County
- WAFOOD Brief 4 – Economic Security and Food Access During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Clark County
- WAFOOD Brief 3 – Economic Security and Food Access During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Pierce County
- WAFOOD Brief 2 – Economic Security and Food Access During the COVID-19 Pandemic: King County
- WAFOOD Brief 1 – Economic Security and Food Access in Washington State During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Sponsors
Wave 1
Waves 2-3
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- Paul G. Allen Family Foundation
- Other private philanthropy
Waves 4-5
Project Team Members
- Jennifer Otten, PI
- Marie Spiker, PI
- James Buszkiewicz, Consultant, University of Michigan
- Alan Ismach, Research Coordinator
- Jane Dai, PhD candidate, Health Systems and Population Health
- Sarah Collier, Co-Investigator
- Shawna Beese, Co-Investigator, Washington State University
Past Project Team Members
- Adam Drewnowski, PI
- Laura Lewis, Co-Investigator, formerly Washington State University
- Brinda Sivaramakrishnan, Co-Investigator, formerly Tacoma Community College
- Chelsea Rose, Research Coordinator
- Esther Nguyen, Research Assistant
Project Period
May 1, 2020 – present
Project Status
Active
Project Contact
Jennifer Otten, jotten@uw.edu
- Food Insecurity Prevalence Across Diverse Sites During COVID-19: A Year of Comprehensive Data (PDF) – 18 Study Sites Reveal Remarkably Similar Trends in Food Insecurity Since COVID-19 Pandemic. National Food Access and COVID Research Team. March 2021.
- Grocery prices a top concern among Washington consumers
- How WA food banks are handling a hunger cliff
- Fund food insecurity response in WA — and demand national fix
- Survey shows food insecurity remains high in Washington state
- Food insecurity remains high in Spokane and statewide, UW-WSU survey shows
- The pandemic is supposed to be over. Why is Pierce County food insecurity still so high?
- SNAP cuts lead to warning of “hunger cliff”
- Food insecurity persists in WA, just as emergency benefits expire
- Low-income Washington state households still struggling with food insecurity as pandemic protections end
- Resiliency of food systems during COVID-19
- Studies show how the pandemic pushed the food system to the brink
- WAFOOD food security survey now open to WA residents
- For many King County families, food aid ‘not nearly enough’ as need spikes in pandemic
- Reliance on food assistance programs on the rise in Washington State
- How the UW food pantry has adapted to rising food insecurity in the state
- WAFOOD survey receives support from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation
- Allen Family Foundation boosts COVID-19-related funding for hard-hit areas in Washington State
- New COVID-19 Grants to Boost Efforts Toward Economic and Social Relief
- The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Continues Support for Vulnerable Communities During COVID-19
- Washington researchers start second round of food security surveys amid coronavirus pandemic
- Need for free food in Washington state has doubled, many groups report, as COVID-19 rips away jobs and security
- Going hungry in the pandemic
- Round 2 of Washington study underway to determine food, economic insecurity during pandemic
- Nearly one-third of Washington households not getting enough food since start of pandemic: study
- Food insecurity in Washington State highest among low-income groups and persons of color
- Food insecurity rates have more than doubled since start of COVID-19 pandemic
- Statewide survey could map how COVID-19 is affecting food security, economics
- Study asks Washington state residents to describe food security and access during pandemic, economic downturn
- New study to evaluate COVID-19 impacts on Washington State food security
- Initiative announces award of 21 COVID-19 rapid response grants