Food insecurity among youth seeking eating disorder treatment

Abstract

Food Insecurity (FI) is associated with a myriad of mental health concerns in children and adolescents. Eating disorder (ED) risk is higher in youth experiencing FI, and FI in childhood is associated with ED diagnoses later in life. Although a growing body of research has shown that FI is associated with a heightened risk for ED-related symptoms, little is known about how experiencing FI may impact ED treatment, particularly in youth. In this study, we characterize the treatment characteristics of youth aged 6–24 (N = 729) with FI receiving family-based treatment for an ED. FI was defined as self-reported experience of FI (family-level FI) at treatment admission, and living in a low income, low access area according to USDA census tract data. Seventeen patients (2.3 % of sample) self-reported family-level FI at intake and 24 (3.3 % of sample) were designated as living in a low income/low access location. Descriptive analyses only were used to characterize the sample due to sample sizes. Group means on measures of weight, ED symptomatology, depression, anxiety, and caregiver burden were evaluated at admission and after four, eight, 12, 16, and 20 weeks of treatment. Results characterize how FI may impact ED treatment and showcase variation in changes. ED treatment must be responsive to needs related to FI as access to and consumption of food is the very foundation of ED treatment.