The intergenerational transmission of food insecurity: Do educational compromises make things worse?

Abstract Education is considered one of the great equalizers of economic opportunity. In this paper, we ask whether childhood food insecurity may decrease educational attainment, which, in turn, may increase food insecurity during adulthood. Using longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics spanning 1997–2019, we estimate intergenerational correlations of food insecurity of 0.07–0.27 depending on the severity of food insecurity. We then estimate a mediation model using multiple mediation approaches and educational outcomes. We find little evidence for education as a mechanism for the intergenerational transmission of food insecurity. However, our results mask heterogeneity by education level in (i) the effect of childhood food insecurity on education and (ii) the effect of education on adulthood food insecurity. There does not seem to be an overlap in education categories for which food security during childhood is relevant and to which food security during adulthood is responsive.