Child Food Insecurity Increases Risks Posed by Household Food Insecurity to Young Children’s Health

Abstract

The US Food Security Scale (USFSS) measures household and child food insecurity (CFI) separately. Our goal was to determine whether CFI increases risks posed by household food insecurity (HFI) to child health and whether the Food Stamp Program (FSP) modifies these effects. From 1998From to 2004 caregivers of children ages 36 mo were interviewed in six urban medical centers. Interviews included demographics, the USFSS, child health status, and hospitalization history. Ten percent reported HFI, 12% HFI and CFI (H&CFI). Compared with food-secure children, those with HFI had significantly greater adjusted odds of fair/poor health and being hospitalized since birth, and those with H&CFI had even greater adverse effects. Participation in the FSP modified the effects of FI on child health status and hospitalizations, reducing, but not eliminating, them. Children in FSP-participating households that were HFI had lower adjusted odds of fair/poor health [1.37 (95% CI, 1.06-1.77)] than children in similar non-FSP households [1.61 (95% CI, 1.31-1.98)]. Children in FSP-participating households that were H&CFI also had lower adjusted odds of fair/ poor health [1.72 (95% CI, 1.34-2.21)] than in similar non-FSP households [2.14 (95% CI, 1.81-2.54)]. HFI is positively associated with fair/poor health and hospitalizations in young children. With H&CFI, odds of fair/poor health and hospitalizations are even greater. Participation in FSP reduces, but does not eliminate, effects of FI on fair/poor health.

Addressing Social Determinants of Health at Well Child Care Visits: A Cluster RCT

“…23,24 Within the Children's HealthWatch survey, food insecurity is assessed on the 18-item US Food Security Scale, a valid and reliable instrument with established clinical cutoffs. 23,25 Single-item questions are used to measure child care needs, education needs (defined as not having completed high school), and employment. For our study, home heating adequacy was measured via 1 item assessing whether there were days in the winter that the subject's home was not heated because of the inability to pay for the heating bill.…”

Maternal Depression Mediates the Association Between Intimate Partner Violence and Food Insecurity

“…As described, the occurrence of food insecurity among families with young children has particularly serious developmental consequences for children. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][23][24][25] Additionally, exposure to parental IPV is a risk factor for children's poor physical, emotional, behavioral, social, and cognitive functioning. 43,44 It is also a concern that the different sources of stress that children experience residing in violent households could lead to the intergenerational cycle of violence and food insecurity.…”

Food insecurity, childhood illness and maternal emotional distress in Ethiopia

“…A significant public health and human rights issue in many low-income countries, food insecurity is highly prevalent in many countries in the Global South and is a significant determinant of multiple childhood health outcomes (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7) . Three mechanisms have been identified to explain the association between food insecurity and childhood illness.…”