Exploring the Knowledge Gap: A Scoping Review of Nutrition Insecurity and Related Factors Among Black Cancer Survivors in the United States

Black people in the United States have the highest death rates for cancer and a lower overall 5-year cancer survival rate than White people. Although current literature demonstrates the importance of diet in cancer survivors' overall health, there is a limited understanding of the relationship between nutrition insecurity and cancer-related outcomes. This review summarizes evidence and knowledge gaps related to nutrition insecurity, food insecurity, neighborhood food environments, and cancer-related outcomes among Black cancer survivors in the United States. A total of 41 articles were reviewed. None of the included studies assessed for nutrition insecurity using a validated measuring tool. The impact of poor diet quality, food insecurity, and the neighborhood environment on cancer-related outcomes is evident, yet these issues continue to be studied in isolation. Establishing nutrition insecurity as a foundational concept will allow for more studies to better address the multi-level issues impacting Black cancer survivors' overall health.