Nutrition Security at the Intersection of Health Equity and Quality Care
Jeanne Blankenship, Robert Blancato
Abstract
Improving the health of Americans requires a dedicated and holistic advancement of access to quality and affordable health care as well as a strong focus on preventive care. Such prevention requires comprehensive nutrition care and services. The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced that social determinants of health (SDOH),1 including access to nutritious food, have a major impact on people’s health, well-being, and quality of life and that SDOHs are intrinsically linked to health equity. Malnutrition (most often protein-calorie malnutrition/undernutrition, particularly in older adults) can be a contributing factor to health inequities, whether caused by challenges from disease and functional limitations, food insecurity, other factors, or a combination of multiple causes.