LAUSR

Food insecurity disproportionally affects low-income populations. COVID-19 has the potential to exacerbate inequalities to food access especially in at-risk populations. The state of New Mexico has one of the highest rates of poverty in the United States. The aim of this study is to assess food insecurity status during COVID-19 by counties in New Mexico. This is a qualitative study that utilized information from a cross-sectional survey developed and piloted by the National Food Access and COVID Research Team (NFACT), adapted for use in New Mexico. It was used to assess participants ’ experiences with food access-related concerns and challenges since the COVID-19 outbreak began on March 11, 2020; surveys were available in English and Spanish. Descriptive statistics of respondents were calculated and reported as frequencies and percentages. Speci fi c data regarding challenges affording food was extracted from the survey and separated by counties of New Mexico: rural (population ≤ 20,000), urban (popu-lation between 20,000 – 99,000), and metro (population ≥ 100,000). Food insecurity among each county was de fi ned by scores of high/ marginal food security (0 – 1), low food security (2 – 4), and very low food security (5 – 6). Food insecurity was further analyzed by extracting fi ve key food insecurity-related- open-ended questions from the survey that associated food security of the last 12 months as compared with during the pandemic. Out of 129 rural, 249 urban, and 730 metro county participants, urban New Mexican counties had the highest percentage of food insecurity in all counties (45.8%). Food access utilization changed pre- and post-pandemic. Use of food pantries/soup kitchens, school food programs, and Summer Feeding Programs increased, while utilization of food assistance programs WIC (54.72% to 45.28%) and