Caregiver‐reported household food insecurity and child‐reported food insecurity in relation to eating disorder risk factors and symptoms among preadolescent children

Abstract

Objective: To examine the relation of caregiver-reported household food insecurity (FI) and child-reported FI with eating disorder (ED) risk factors and symptoms, including effect modification by gender, in preadolescent children.Method: Data were from the Family Food Study, a cross-sectional study of households with incomes ≤200% of the federal poverty line in southeastern Michigan.Children aged 8-10 years (n = 194) and their female primary caregivers reported separately on FI status. Children reported ED risk factors/symptoms via the 24-item Children's Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT-24), with higher scores indicating more ED risk factors/symptoms. Linear mixed models were used to examine associations between FI measures with the ChEAT-24 total score, plus subscale scores for dieting, food preoccupation, weight preoccupation, vomiting, and social pressure to eat/gain weight. Models were adjusted for child age, child gender, caregiver race/ethnicity, caregiver education, and household income.Results: Among all children, child-reported FI, but not caregiver-reported household FI, was associated with more ED risk factors/symptoms. Child-reported FI (vs. no FI) was associated with higher average ChEAT-24 total score (β = 2.41, 95% CI: 0.57, 4.25). Child-reported FI was also associated with more food preoccupation, more weight preoccupation, and more social pressure to eat. Caregiver-reported household FI was marginally associated with less dieting in girls, and child-reported FI was associated with more dieting in boys.

Associations between food insecurity and diabetes risk factors in US adolescents in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2016

“…Finally, household food insecurity, as reported by the parent/caregiver in the household, may not capture the experience of food insecurity for the adolescent. Studies that have used child-reported food insecurity have found differential associations with children’s health outcomes when compared with parent/caregiver reports ( 49 ) . That being said, there is currently no consistent approach for adolescent reported food insecurity in the USA, which represents an important goal of future research.…”

Associations between disordered eating, internalizing symptoms, and behavioral and neural correlates of response inhibition in preadolescence

“…Preadolescence (typically defined by researchers as age 8–11 years; Barry et al., 2022; Murray et al., 2022) may be a critical stage for studying the development of EDs. Although EDs are most likely to develop during adolescence (Micali et al., 2013; Stice et al., 2009), there is evidence to suggest these diagnoses are increasing in preadolescence (Nicholls et al., 2011; Petkova et al., 2019; Reas & Rø, 2018).…”