Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

0009-0006-2991-6153

Advisor

Davis, George

Committee Member

Harri, Ardian

Committee Member

Kim, Ayoung

Date of Degree

8-12-2026

Original embargo terms

Immediate Worldwide Access

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Agriculture (Agricultual Economics)

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Department

Department of Agricultural Economics

Abstract

Equitable access to food is a central component of food security and a key determinant of health. Yet current approaches to food access measurement remain fragmented and limited. This study introduces the first of its kind data driven, multidimensional, county-level measure of food access in the United States. Drawing on publicly available data, I employ a factor analysis pipeline to construct a suite of latent variable estimates that represent pillars of food access. This model-based approach allows synthesis of these diverse measures into the resulting Food Access Index (FAI), while explicitly accounting for measurement error and addressing missing data. Resulting measures offer both descriptive and diagnostic value, enabling transparent and replicable comparisons across counties, providing a foundation for research on the determinants and consequences of disparities in food access. Likewise, it represents a policy-relevant tool for allocating scarce resources, identifying structural barriers, and informing targeted interventions to improve food and nutrition security.

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