Experiences and Situations of Shame Among Food-insecure Adolescents in South Carolina and Oregon

Shame experienced with food insecurity and participating in food assistance may affect adolescents. We investigated adolescents' experiences of shame related to food insecurity and situations for these experiences in an ethnically diverse sample of 40 adolescents aged 9-15 years from South Carolina and Oregon. In-depth interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed. Participants described feelings of sadness, anger, and internalized shame with food insecurity. Salient situations were participating in food assistance, seeking food assistance from others or community services, and social encounters at school among peers. Adolescents felt shame knowing that peers were aware of their food insecurity and about them participating in food assistance through school.