Publisher: The Daily Yonder
Published: September 10, 2026
Source: Read at The Daily Yonder (https://dailyyonder.com/study-finds-link-between-food-insecurity-and-chronic-illness-in-rural-texas/2026/09/10/)
Category: Food Access
PCCI researchers found that food insecurity was a baseline problem in 149 rural Texas census tracts and identified it as one factor linked to higher vulnerability to chronic illness. Their analysis found 192 Texas census tracts with high or very high obesity vulnerability, while a separate PCCI study identified 58 Texas counties as food deserts. In East Texas, 33 supermarkets, including discount stores, can address the nutritional needs of nearly 150,000 residents, while 182 inpatient hospital beds are available within 100 miles. Texas reported food insecurity among 21.3% of its population between 2020 and 2022, compared with 15.5% across the country.
Why this matters: For independent grocers and food-access groups, the findings point to gaps involving both store supply and transportation. Community organizations can use more precise local data to target limited resources toward areas with the greatest food and health needs.
This post summarizes and links to the original source. It does not reproduce the full article.