The Cutting Edge

Prevalence of household food insecurity and overweight has increased over time and are more prevalent in low-income families. This cross-sectional study is based on demographic, anthropometric, food security and other health-related data collected from November 1998 through December 1999, on a sample of children and mothers from low income families participating in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for the Women, Infants, and Children) Program. Data on the children's age, sex, parental/caretaker report of child race/ethnicity and maternal education were also collected. Of the 8,493 children with complete data, 31 percent of the children were from food-insecure households (8.3 percent with hunger), and 18.4 percent of the sample was overweight. Prevalence of household food insecurity did not differ significantly by age, sex or maternal education.

Because significant interactions were found between household food insecurity and age-group and sex, the researchers separated the subjects into four groups, boys under 2 years old, girls under 2 years old, boys 2-5 years old and girls 2-5 years old. In girls under 2 years old, household food insecurity was associated with a lower likelihood of being overweight. No correlation was found for boys under 2 years. In contrast, 2- to 5-year- old girls from households reporting Household food insecurity with hunger had 47 percent higher odds of overweight than those from food secure households. No association was found for household food insecurity without hunger among 2-5 year old girls, and again, no association was found among 2-5 year old boys.

Writing in the article, Elizabeth Metallinos-Katsaras, Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition, School for Health Sciences, Simmons College, Boston, states, "The findings of this study suggest that Household food insecurity is associated with overweight prevalence in low income ethnically and racially diverse girls. Age and sex, however, appear to modify both the magnitude and the directionality of the association. Future research should examine these associations using a longitudinal research design. Moreover, qualitative research is needed to establish the underlying behaviors that may affect the development of childhood overweight among families with uncertain and limited food availability and how these behaviors may vary by sex.”