What is driving food insecurity risks in UK households with children?

Abstract

Abstract Background Food insecurity is a global public health issue, disproportionately affecting households with children in the UK. Despite increased research attention, there remains a gap in understanding why prevalence of food insecurity is higher in this demographic. This study aims to address this gap. Methods Utilising data from the 2021/22 and 2022/23 Family Resources Survey, an UK annual cross-sectional survey, we investigate the association between sociodemographic and economic factors, and the risk of food insecurity among households with children. Logistic regression analysis was used, with food security treated as a binary outcome variable. Control variables included receiving means-tested benefits, disabilities in a household, region within the UK, and the ethnicity, highest education level and marital status of the household reference person. A total of 41127 households were included, with 10137 being households with children. Results Our preliminary findings reveal stark inequalities, with 12.0% of households with children experiencing food insecurity, compared to 6.4% of households without children (p-value for comparison <0.0001). After adjusting for control variables, the odds of food insecurity among households with children was 1.40 (95% CI: 1.27, 1.54) compared to households without children. Adding equivalised household income after housing costs attenuated the relationship but households with children remained at significantly higher odds of food insecurity (OR: 1.32 (1.20, 1.45)). Conclusions This preliminary analysis demonstrates that, after adjusting for control variables and equivalised household income after housing costs, having children in a household is still associated with a higher risk of food insecurity. This underscores the need to understand the mechanisms underlying this relationship further. Such insights are essential for informing targeted policies and interventions aimed at mitigating food insecurity among households with children. Key messages • Having children independently increases the risk of food insecurity in households in the UK. • Moving forward, our aim is to understand the mechanisms underlying the relationship between households with children and food insecurity.