Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement (CPS-FSS)

The CPS-FSS is an annual supplement to the CPS. Information about the CPS sample and methodology is presented in the CPS data source description. The food security survey asked one adult respondent in each household a series of questions about experiences and behaviors of household members that indicate food insecurity, such as being unable to afford balanced meals, cutting the size of meals because of too little money for food, or being hungry because of too little money for food. The food security status of the household is assigned based on the number of food-insecure conditions reported. Households with very low food security among children are identified by responses to a subset of questions about the conditions and experiences of children. Survey respondents also report the amounts their households spend on food and whether they use public or private food and nutrition assistance programs. All households with incomes below 185 percent of the Federal poverty threshold are asked questions about the use of Federal and community-based food and nutrition assistance programs. In order to minimize the burden on respondents, households with incomes above that range are not asked the questions unless they indicate some level of difficulty in meeting their food needs on the first of the preliminary screener questions.