Abstract
Much of what is known about food insecurity (FI) experiences for young people is based on caregiver report. As such, our understanding of relationships between youth FI and dietary intake (DI) may be limited, particularly among adolescents who often eat away from home. This study examined relationships between youth-reported past-month FI, past-week DI, and school lunch behavior. Data are from middle and high school participants in the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey (N = 125,375), one of the longest-running youth surveys in the US. Logistic regression assessed relationships between FI and DI, including fruit, vegetable, milk, sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB), and fast food consumption, and school lunch behavior, adjusting for demographic, physical, and emotional health indicators. Past-month FI was associated with reduced odds of meeting minimum thresholds for daily fruit, vegetable, and milk intake, and increased odds of daily SSB and frequent fast food consumption. Among food-insecure students, no participation in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or NSLP participation uncertainty was associated with increased odds of skipping lunch. Findings suggest the importance of clinical and community innovations to prevent the loss of nutritional quality in favor of energy density for youth and families experiencing FI.
Highlights
Using data from a statewide survey of middle and high school students, the current analyses address the following questions: (1) What is the relationship between youthreported past-month food insecurity (FI) and past-week food and beverage consumption, including meeting minimum thresholds for fruit and vegetable consumption, any milk intake, and intake of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) and fast food? (2) Are relationships between youth FI and consumption robust to the addition of other hypothesized correlates of food intake, including body mass index (BMI), physical activity, sleep, and mood? Additional analyses examined relationships between FI and student report of school lunch behavior
Findings from a recent study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015–2018) reveal that approximately 90% of adolescents ages 12–19 years consume any vegetable on a given day, less than two-thirds of adolescents consume any fruit [39]
The present study found less than 10% of Minnesota Student Survey (MSS) middle and high school students achieved intake of a minimum threshold for vegetables, defined by three or more vegetables/day; and less than one-third of students consumed a minimum level for fruits, specified as two or more fruits/day
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Disruptions in access to diverse and nutrient-rich foods may have long-lasting impact on health [1,2]. A population with increasing autonomy of food and beverage intake, food insecurity (FI) experiences may negatively impact diet-related behaviors during a time when dietary consumption is relevant for future adult health. Much of what we know about FI prevalence and diet-related behaviors is based on adult report, including parents and caregivers as heads of households; for older children, FI reports between adults and youth may be incongruent [3]. We know less about relationships between family FI and food-related behaviors among adolescents from their perspective
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