Prediction of child health and nutrient intake by child versus parent reports of child food insecurity

Abstract

Recent qualitative studies reported that children experience food insecurity differently than adults, and that parents often do not have knowledge of their child's experiences. We investigated if children's reports of their own food insecurity more accurately predict child health and nutrient intake than parent reports of child food insecurity. Using data from the 2005–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we analyzed child food insecurity reported by 820 children aged 12–17 years and their parents in food‐insecure households in relation to child self‐reported health and nutrient intakes reported by children from 1–2 days of 24‐h recall. Five similar items were used for child and parent reports of child food insecurity. Agreement between child and parent reports was poor (Kappa: −0.01–0.07). Child food insecurity was reported by 31.8% of parents and by 26.0% of children. Compared with food‐secure children, food‐insecure children reported by child had significantly poorer health and less vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B12, calcium, and iron intakes; those as reported by the parent had significantly poorer health and less thiamin, folate, and iron intakes. Child reports more accurately predicted poor health than parent reports (p=0.031). These results imply that child reports of food insecurity capture adverse effects of child food insecurity better than parent reports.