Insecure Groups Research Articles

Abstract TMP100: Associations between Food Insecurity and All-Cause Mortality in Stroke Survivors and the General NHANES Study Population

Introduction: Food insecurity, defined as limited access to nutritious food due to financial challenges, has grown substantially over the past two decades in the United States. Stroke survivors are more likely to experience food insecurity compared to the general population. However, the impact of food insecurity on long-term survival post-stroke remains unclear. Hence, we aimed to determine associations between food insecurity post-stroke and all-cause mortality. Methods: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is an iterative cross-sectional study representative of the US population. Using data from 1999-2018, we assessed associations between food insecurity and all-cause mortality among stroke survivors and the general NHANES population, using linkage to death certificates from the National Death Index. Food security was assessed using ten NHANES questions and dichotomized into food security and food insecurity. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate associations between food insecurity and mortality adjusting for NHANES weighting, sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, poverty income ratio, BMI, diabetes, stroke, myocardial infarction, and cancer. Results: Among 101,316 NHANES participants, 2,197 (2.2%) self-reported as stroke survivors (mean age 67.6y, 50.8% female). Stroke survivors were more often food insecure compared to the general NHANES population (17.6% [SE:1.3%] vs. 14.3% [SE:0.4%], p=0.0038). Among 1,754 (78.9%) stroke survivors with linked death records, 801 died during a median follow-up of 105 months (IQR 56-159). The 10-year all-cause mortality rate among stroke survivors was 36.2% (SE: 3.0%) for the food secure and 48.4% (SE: 1.8%) for the food insecure group. In the general NHANES population, the corresponding rates were 10.9% (SE: 0.2%) and 14.2% (SE: 0.4%), respectively (Fig 1). Regression analysis showed that food insecurity was associated with a 31% increased risk of mortality in stroke survivors (HR: 1.31, 95%CI:1.00-1.73, P=0.049) and a 40% increase in the general NHANES population (HR: 1.40, 95%CI:1.25-1.57, P<0.001) (Fig 2). Conclusion: Food insecurity is associated with increased mortality rates in both the NHANES general population and stroke survivors, with a more pronounced difference in mortality rates among stroke survivors based on their food security status. Future research should focus on characterizing the biological and social mechanisms underlying these associations.

Food Insecurity Modifies the Association Between the Gut Microbiome and the Risk of Cognitive Impairment in Adults.

Recent studies have shown associations between relative abundances of specific gut microbes and cognitive function; however, few studies have explored the potential interplay between the gut microbiome and food insecurity in association with the risk of cognitive impairment (RCI). This study investigated the role of food insecurity as an effect modifier between the gut microbiome, including groups of gut microbes (microbial cliques), and RCI. Data came from the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin and its ancillary Wisconsin Microbiome Study. The analytical sample (n = 360) included adult participants with complete data on food insecurity, RCI, and 16S rRNA sequencing data from stool samples. A "mini-cog" memory test was implemented to assess RCI. Food insecurity was assessed using a set of survey-based questions. Alpha diversity and individual taxa associations with RCI were estimated using linear regression. Microbial cliques associated with RCI were identified using an interpretable machine-learning-based algorithm. All analyses were stratified by food insecurity level, and regression models were adjusted for relevant confounders. Food insecurity status was weakly associated with RCI (b = 0.06, 95%CI=[0.00, 0.12]). Gut microbiome a-diversity had an inverse association with RCI in both the food secure (b=-0.08, 95%CI=[-0.15, -0.02]) and insecure groups (b=-0.09, 95%CI=[-0.26, 0.07]). Bacteroides sp. was associated with RCI in the food secure group only (b = 0.09, 95%CI= [0.05, 1.36]. We identified two microbial cliques whose associations with RCI were modified by food insecurity status. The presence of the microbial clique with either Eisenbergiella or Eubacterium was more strongly associated with RCI for the food-insecure group (β = 0.29, p < 0.0001) than the food-secure group (β = 0.05, p < 0.001). Alternatively, a microbial clique representing the presence of Ruminococcus torques, Bacteroides, CAG-352F, and/or Eubacterium had a stronger association with RCI for the food-secure group (β = 0.1, p < 0.0001) than the food-insecure group (β = 0.07, p = 0.01). Food insecurity may modify the relationship between the gut microbiome and RCI. These findings suggest environmental and lifestyle factors in potential prevention strategies against RCI.

Factors Associated with Metabolically Unhealthy Obesity and Its Relation to Food Insecurity in Korean Adults with Obesity.

The association between food insecurity and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) in the population with obesity is unclear. We evaluated factors associated with MUO and the relationship between food insecurity and MUO in individuals with obesity. We analyzed data from 5191 adults with obesity (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2) from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2019-2021. MUO was defined when participants with obesity had any of the following: (1) triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dL, (2) High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol < 40 mg/dL (men), <50 mg/dL (women), (3) systolic blood pressure ≥ 135 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥85 mmHg or on treatment for hypertension, (4) fasting glucose ≥ 100 mg/dL, or on treatment for diabetes. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for MUO according to food security status, sociodemographic characteristics, and lifestyle factors were calculated using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of MUO and metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) among the participants was 85.4% and 14.6%, respectively. In the multivariate model, the OR (95% CIs) for MUO in the food insecurity group was 1.87 (1.03-3.43). The odds for MUO were higher among participants with older age, higher BMI, <12 years of education, lower fat intake, non-manual work, and moderated and low physical activity than among their counterparts. Food insecurity, older age, higher BMI, lower educational level, lower fat intake, non-manual workers, and lower physical activity were associated with MUO. Therefore, targeted interventions and policies are needed for vulnerable groups.

Food Insecurity and Its Relationship with Food Intake and Demographic Factors in Pregnant Women in Tehran

Background: Food security is described as physical and economic access for all people at all times to sufficient food for an active and healthy life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of food insecurity and its relationship with the health status of pregnant women referred to North Tehran Health Center. Methods: The current study is a cross-sectional study conducted on 160 pregnant women in the third trimester covered by North Tehran Health Center in 2017-2018. Food security status, and dietary intake were assessed using general demographic and socioeconomic questionnaires, USDA 18-item household food security, and semi-quantitative food frequency recall, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS and nutritionist IV software. Significance level was set at 0.05. Results: The study showed that 21.8% of mothers suffered insecure nutritional status and 78.2% of them were in safe nutritional status. There was a significant difference (P=0.013) between the two category of food groups (P=0.013). The mean consumption of legumes in people with insecure nutrition status (65.72±42.40 g) was more than nutrition secure group (50.08±29.77 g). Other food items showed no significant difference between the two groups of safe and unsafe nutrition status. In terms of economic status, there was a significant difference between safe and unsafe groups (P=0.001). Conclusion: In this study, food insecurity rate and prevalence of pregnant women was much less than that other studies. Given the role of the economic situation in the ability to purchase and supply food, probably one of the main reasons of more consumption of legumes in insecure groups would be low-income level and lower purchasing power of other food groups, such as meat.

Food purchase patterns, food policy recognition, and food environment satisfaction among adults in Jeju, Korea, according to food security: a cross-sectional study

Objectives: Recently, food insecurity has been a major public health issue along with the food crisis caused by COVID-19, climate change, and the polarization of food supply due to socioeconomic disparities. Food insecurity is known to be related to the food choices and environment of the consumer. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the food security statuses of adults in Jeju and investigate their food purchase patterns, food policy recognition, and food environment satisfaction.Methods: Based on data from the 2022 Jeju Food Survey, 346 adults aged ≥19 years in Jeju were classified into food security and insecurity groups (quantitatively and qualitatively) using the questionnaire. Food purchase patterns, including purchasing frequency, items, and reasons, were surveyed for local and eco-friendly foods. The recognition and necessity of several food policies and satisfaction with diet and food environment (availability, accessibility, affordability, accommodation, and acceptability) were measured using the Likert scale.Results: Among the total participants, 47.4% were in the food insecurity group. The frequency of purchasing local and eco-friendly foods did not significantly differ by food security status. The insecurity group exhibited a higher recognition rate of basic rights to food (36.0%) than the security group (24.7%, P = 0.023). The recognition and necessity of specific food policies did not significantly differ by food security status, except for the policy of promoting food communities, for which the food security group exhibited higher recognition than the food insecurity group did (P = 0.004). The food insecurity group exhibited significantly lower scores regarding satisfaction toward diet and food environment factors (P &lt; 0.05 for all).Conclusions: Overall, the food security group reported higher satisfaction with their diet and food environment than the food insecurity group. Further in-depth studies to investigate the determinants of food insecurity and effective promotional strategies for food policies are needed.

The Association Between Adult Attachment Patterns, Attachment to Group and Mental Health in Israel Following the October 7th Attack: The Role of Emotion Regulation Strategies.

We examined the associations between attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and attachment to group (to Israel) and mental health scores. The study used a community sample of 434 participants in response to the October 7th attack on Israel. Additionally, we explored the potential mechanisms linking these attachment patterns to mental health scores. We focused on emotion regulation strategies, such as task-focused, emotion-focused, and distance-focused strategies, as potential mediators. The results indicated that the negative direct association between attachment anxiety and mental health is fully mediated by a high emotion-focused strategy and a low task-focused strategy. Attachment avoidance did not have a significant direct association with mental health scores. However, it had significant negative indirect associations through a high emotion-focused strategy and a low task-focused strategy. Attachment to the group (to Israel) showed both direct and indirect positive associations with mental health through a low emotion-focused strategy and a high task-focused strategy. The discussion highlights the role of internal representations of insecure attachment, group attachment, and emotion regulation strategies (especially emotion- and task-focused strategies) in how highly stressful external situations affect mental health.

Reassessing the Burden of Food Insecurity in Youth and Young Adults With Youth-onset Diabetes: The Importance of Marginal Food Security

IntroductionWhereas marginal food insecurity has been recognized as important in Canadian food security policy, the category of marginal food security (MFS) is often ignored in US food security research. MethodsPrevalence of FI was estimated according to the conventional and an alternate classification of MFS with food insecurity among 938 youth and young adults (YYA) with youth-onset type 1 diabetes (T1D) and 156 with youth-onset of type 2 diabetes (T2D) from the SEARCH Food Security Cohort Study (2018–2021). Multivariable regression was used to estimate the association of MFS and conventionally defined food insecurity (FI) ascertained with diabetes-related outcomes, including acute diabetes complications, health care utilization, and diabetes self-management among YYA with T1D. ResultsMFS affected 10% of participants with T1D diabetes and 20% of participants with T2D. Classifying MFS with FI increased FI prevalence from 18.0% to 27.8% in participants with T1D and 34.6% to 55.1% in participants with T2D. Compared to T1D with high food security, YYA with T1D who were FI had higher odds hypoglycemia (2.1, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.6) and ketoacidosis (1.6, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.6), but no association was seen in MFS. The FI group also had higher odds of emergency department use and hospitalization (2.3, 95% CI 1.5 to 3.4; 2.4, 95% CI 1.5 to 3.9) and lower odds of technology use and checking glucose (0.6, 95% CI 0.4 to 0.9; 0.3, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.6). The MFS group exhibited associations of similar directions. Discussion and ConclusionHealth care providers should consider care of patients with T1D and MFS the same way they care for patients with FI.

Benefits of using both the Hunger Vital Sign and brief nutrition security screener in health-related social needs screening.

Food security is a commonly screened for health-related social need at hospitals and community settings, and until recently, there were no tools to additionally screen for nutrition security. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential advantage of including a one-item brief nutrition security screener (BNSS) alongside the commonly used two-item Hunger Vital Sign (HVS) food security screener for identifying individuals with diet-related health risks. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from April to June 2021. Generalized linear mixed models were used to assess associations between screening status and dietary and health variables. Recruitment was done across five states (California, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, and Washington) from community-based organizations. Participants (n = 435) were, on average, 44.7 years old (SD = 14.5), predominantly women (77%), and racially/ethnically diverse. In adjusted analyses, being in the food insecure and nutrition insecure group (but not the food insecure and nutrition secure or food secure and nutrition insecure groups) was associated with significantly increased odds for self-reported "fair" or "poor" general health [OR = 2.914 (95% CI = 1.521-5.581)], reporting at least one chronic condition [2.028 (1.024-4.018)], and "low" fruit and vegetable intake [2.421 (1.258-4.660)], compared with the food secure and nutrition secure group. These findings support using both the HVS and BNSS simultaneously in health-related social needs screening to identify participants at the highest risk for poor dietary and health outcomes and warrant further investigation into applying these screeners to clinical and community settings.

Policy Brief Optimizing the First Thousand Days of Life (1000 HPK) Policy Program as an Effort to Prevent Stunting in Indonesia: Literature Review

Introduction: 1000 HPK is a food insecure group which includes pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and children under two years old. Thus, nutrition program policies are the focus of the 1000 HPK group in efforts to prevent stunting. Objective: The aim of this research was to carry out a literature review to determine the Policy Brief for Optimizing the First Thousand Days of Life (1000 HPK) Policy Program as an Effort to Prevent Stunting in Indonesia. Method: This research looked for journals used in the literature review, journals used in the literature review were obtained through international journal provider databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scince Direct. Researchers wrote appropriate keywords, namely 1000 HPK, stunting, and Policy Brief. Result: After conducting literature, the researcher obtained five articles that were relevant to the research topic, namely about 1000 HPK, stunting, and Policy Brief. Based on indicators, the 1000 HPK program has not yet reached the target in Indonesia, which is caused by the availability of human resources and infrastructure in implementing the 1000 HPK program at the Community Health Center which is still inadequate. Conclusion: Presidential Regulation number 42 of 2013 concerning the National Movement to Improve Nutrition was issued to support efforts to increase stakeholder participation and awareness in a planned and coordinated manner to accelerate nutritional improvements in the first 1000 days of life (1000 HPK) in efforts to accelerate nutritional improvements in the first 1000 days of life (1000 HPK) prevent stunting.

Prevalence and risk factors of food insecurity among Syrian refugees in Türkiye

BackgroundAlthough Türkiye (Turkey) hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees, studies on food insecurity are limited. This study examined the prevalence and risk factors of food insecurity among Syrian refugees living in Istanbul, which has the highest number of refugees in Türkiye.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among Syrian refugees in Istanbul between September 2021 and March 2022. The main income earners of 103 households were interviewed by a research dietitian, with the assistance of an Arabic speaking interpreter through hour-long face-to-face. Data on sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, nationality, marital status, educational status, the family income, the major source of family income, and the number of family members living in the household etc.) and household food insecurity status were collected. Household food insecurity status was assessed with the eighteen-item Household Food Security Survey Module.ResultsThe household food insecurity rate was 90.3%, and those of adults and children were 88.4% and 84.8%, respectively. It was observed that family income level was significantly associated with food insecurity. A one-unit increase in monthly income increased food security by 0.02 times (p < 0.001). The number of employed refugees in the food security group was higher than that in the food insecurity group (p = 0.018). A significant difference was found in the rate of occupation type of the major income earner between the groups (p = 0.046).ConclusionsHigh rates of food insecurity, particularly severe food insecurity, were found among Syrian refugees living in Istanbul. While more research is warranted to explore the root causes and efficacy of the current support system, it requires the immediate attention of policymakers at the national and international levels to implement effective policies and interventions.

Comparing the Activity of the Parasympathetic System in People with Secure and Insecure Attachment Style

Background: As the reciprocal effect between mind and body has been controversial since Freud's era, current research considers the relationship between the peripheral nervous system and psychological functions. Objectives: The current study aimed to examine parasympathetic activity concerning attachment style. Heart rate variability (HRV) has been assessed. It takes an account as an index of the autonomic nervous system, which included high frequency (HF), low frequency (LF), and very low frequency (VLF), was assessed. It is noteworthy that HF is an indicator of the parasympathetic nervous system. Methods: The study methodologically was casual-comparative. The participants included participants over 25 years-old residing in areas one to ten of Tehran. According to the agreement in casual-comparative studies, using a convenience sampling method, 36 participants opted. After missing 7 participants, 29 remained, divided into two groups based on their attachment style (12 participants in the insecure group and 17 ones in the secure group). The Persian version of Besharat's Attachment Adult Inventory (1987) and stress response evaluation (SRE) was conducted, and MANOVA performed an analysis to collect the data. Results: Findings showed that although there is a significant difference based on combining scores of VLF, LF, and HF between two groups (F = 10.493, P &lt; 0.05, ɳ2 = 0.557), HF is of higher average in the insecure attachment group (F = 27.70, P &lt; 0.05, ɳ2 = 0.506). Conclusions: Heart rate variability, especially HF, is an indicator of the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system that can be influenced by attachment style and early relationship.

Food Insecurity in College Students

Using a mixed-methods approach, the purpose of this study was to identify contributing factors and their relationship to food insecurity at a midsize, private university. During semistructured interviews (N = 23), students discussed social and environmental factors related to food insecurity, as well as the individual factors of food-related time, stress, and skill. A short questionnaire measuring the individual factors was developed and implemented with the US Department of Agriculture food security survey (N = 270). Between the food secure and insecure groups, there were significant differences in relation to food-related time, stress, and skill (P &lt; .01). Identifying specific factors can inform campus-specific interventions to address food insecurity.

Association Between Household Food Insecurity and Dizziness or Balance Disturbance in Korean Older Adults

Background: Food insecurity is defined as economic and social conditions that limit access to enough food to live a healthy life. The elderly are among the first to experience food insecurity, and we aim to investigate the association between food insecurity and dizziness, one of the most common complaints in geriatric health. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study used data from the eighth of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Of the 22,559 participants, 3002 participants over the age of 60 were studied. Food insecurity was assessed by asking 18 questions. The sum of the 18 questions was calculated and categorized into the food security group, the early stage of food insecurity group, and the food insecurity group. Then we analyzed differences in the prevalence of dizziness between the three groups.

Food insecurity is associated with a higher body mass index and lower albumin levels in patients with congestive heart failure in the All of Us research program

Abstract Introduction Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is an extremely prevalent disorder worldwide with high morbidity and mortality rates. Estimates suggest that approximately 80% of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including CHF, can be prevented by controlling risk factors and adopting a healthy lifestyle. However, there are substantial barriers to implementing this guidance for many patients, including food insecurity, which is a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Food insecurity is also associated with a greater prevalence of overweight and obesity, which plays a role in the pathogenesis of CHF. Purpose Our goal is to examine the difference in body mass index (BMI), nutritional and cardiac-specific markers—specifically albumin, B-type natriuretic peptides (BNP), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptides (NT-proBNP), and troponin I (TnI)—between patients with CHF who are food secure and patients with CHF who are food insecure. To our knowledge, no prior studies have examined this important relationship in a large population-based sample. Methods We use the All of Us Research Program (AoURP) to analyze a large cohort of 372,380 participants representing the diversity of the US population in terms of ancestry, demographics, socioeconomic status, and other characteristics. Of the 372,380 participants, 12,529 had CHF, of which 1472 answered the two validated screening questions for food insecurity, also known as the "hunger vital sign". We split the CHF participants between a food-secure group (1297 participants) and a food-insecure group (175 participants), where food security is defined as responding "never" to both questions of the "hunger vital sign". Results Our findings indicate that the food insecure participants are younger (p&amp;lt;0.0001), less likely to drink alcohol (p&amp;lt;0.0001), less educated (p&amp;lt;0.0001), and more likely to be black (p&amp;lt;0.0001), female (p&amp;lt;0.0001), and Hispanic (p&amp;lt;0.001). The mean (+-SD) BMI for the food insecure group is 35.0 (+-8.8) kg m-2 compared to 31.3 (+-7.2) kg m-2 for the food secure group (p&amp;lt;0.00001) and the mean (+-SD) albumin level for the food insecure group is 34.2 (+- 2.9) g/L compared to 38.4 (+-4.2) g/L for the food secure group (p&amp;lt;0.0001). The differences in BNP, NT-proBNP, and TnI are not statistically significant. Conclusion Our findings–demographic differences, higher mean BMI, lower albumin levels in CHF patients who are food insecure–indicate the necessity to reevaluate our approach to care for historically underserved patients.

Mentalization, emotional dysregulation and attachment to alternative attachment figures in retrospectively defined earned secure adults.

Researchers have tried to identify mechanisms through which an individual overcomes negative life experiences, proposing earning security as one of them. Retrospectively defined earned secures are recognized as individuals exhibiting secure attachments to their parents while evaluating the quality of their childhood care as low. This study aimed to examine attachment, mentalization, and emotional dysregulation in this group. We hypothesized that earned secures will report better mentalizing, lower emotion dysregulation, and more secure attachment to figures other than parents than insecure individuals. female adult sample (N = 272) completed the Experiences in Close Relationships-Relationship Structures questionnaire, Parental Bonding Instrument, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, and Mental State Task. The time devoted to psychotherapy and demographics were also controlled as contextual variables. We identified an 'earned secure' group (14% of the sample), exhibiting secure attachment to mothers in adulthood despite reported inadequate care during childhood, along with the continuously secure, insecure, and 'lost secure' groups. People from the earned secure and secure groups reported better emotional regulation and some aspects of mentalization than those in the insecure and lost secure groups. They equally frequently reported the presence of an adult other than parents who were important to them in childhood, but the attachment to them was more secure. We did not find evidence of differences between the groups in the duration of psychotherapy. Secure attachment to alternative attachment figures, along with some mentalization and emotional regulation aspects, may be considered significant factors for earning security.

The association of food insecurity on body mass index change in a pediatric weight management intervention.

Childhood obesity is a critical public health concern. One potential determinant to obesity that is less understood is food insecurity. To examine the association of food security status on body mass index (BMI) change in a Pediatric Weight Management Intervention (PWMI) consistent with national treatment recommendations. This analysis included 201 participants from the Healthy Weight Clinic (HWC). Using linear mixed models, we compared BMI and %BMIp95 change per year between the food insecure group and food secure group, adjusting for baseline BMI, age and sex, and SNAP enrolment. In fully adjusted models, children in households with food insecurity had a 0.50 (0.26-0.74) kg/m2 BMI increase per year and a 2.10 (1.02-3.19) %BMIp95 increase per year compared to households that were food secure. When comparing the BMI effect of the HWC between the food insecure group and food secure group, those experiencing food insecurity in the HWC had an increase in BMI compared to those with food security. These findings suggest that food insecurity may reduce the effectiveness of PWMIs consistent with national recommendations; however, more studies should be conducted to better understand this relationship.

Assessment of food security status of rural women in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Food security is important for economic development and growth, social interaction, political stability and security in society. The study examined the food security status of rural women in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. A total of 250 rural women were surveyed using multi stage random sampling procedure. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics, food security index (FSI) and a logistic regression model to achieve the study objectives. The results showed that most of the women were aged, married and educated with a large household size. The result of the FSI showed that 77% and 23% of the rural women were food secured and food insecure respectively. Findings also showed that the variables: age (10%), household size (1%), household headship (10%), source of water (5%) and assets owned (5%) significantly determined households’ food security status. There were significant differences in the socioeconomic characteristics of the food secured and food insecure group of the rural women. It was also observed that high food price, high cost of living, low income, unemployment and flood were major challenges faced by the rural women. In response, the women tackled their food security challenges by relying on less preferred/less expensive food, borrowing food from friends, relatives or neighbor, buying food on credit and reducing spending on children's education. The study recommends that poor rural households be assisted through social welfare or empowerment schemes and also, financial inclusion policies should be promoted by relevant authorities to enable rural women deal with price shocks or volatility.

Associations between cooking self-efficacy, attitude, and behaviors among people living alone: A cross-sectional survey analysis

Cooking-related literacy and attitudes may play important roles in preventing and reducing diet-related chronic diseases and nutrition disparities. People living alone are an under-researched but growing population who face above average food insecurity rates. This study's objectives were to 1) test how cooking self-efficacy and attitude are stratified demographically among a sample of people living alone, focusing on variations across gender, age, and food security, and 2) examine how cooking self-efficacy and attitude are associated with two indicators of cooking behavior – cooking frequency and convenience orientation. We draw from a cross-sectional survey analysis of 493 adults living alone in Illinois, USA with validated measures for cooking self-efficacy, attitude, frequency, convenience orientation, and demographic characteristics. Hierarchical linear regression models were used to examine demographic factors explaining variation in self-efficacy and attitude, with attention to interactions between gender, food insecurity, and age. Poisson and OLS linear regression models were used to examine associations between self-efficacy and attitude and cooking frequency and convenience orientation. We find cooking-related self-efficacy and attitude showed strong but distinct associations with cooking frequency and convenience orientation. Overall, food insecure groups had lower self-efficacy than those who were food secure; however, food insecure women had higher self-efficacy than men in similar positions, apart from older-adult women who held particularly low efficacy. Cooking attitudes varied in small ways, notably with food insecure younger and older women possessing more negative cooking attitudes than middle-aged women. This research highlights the importance of understanding the cooking-related orientations of single-living people, while demonstrating that this group's ability to prevent and manage food insecurity is not uniform. These results can inform targeted interventions around food and nutrition insecurity, cooking attitudes, and self-efficacy among single-living populations.

Infant and preschool attachment, continuity and relationship to caregiving sensitivity: findings from a new population-based Australian cohort.

Here, we report new prevalence and temporal stability data for child attachment and parental caregiving behaviour, from infancy (1 year) to preschool (4 years). Attachment (SSP) and caregiving data (MBQS) were from observations of parents and their infants and preschoolers, who represent the third generation of participants within an Australian longitudinal cohort. At 1 year (n = 314 dyads) and at 4 years (n = 368 dyads), proportions assessed secure were 59% and 71%, respectively. Proportions assessed avoidant were 15% and 11%; ambivalent 9% and 6%, and disorganised 17% and 12%, at 1 and 4 years. Continuity of attachment pattern was highest for the infant secure group. Of dyads initially classified disorganised in infancy, 36% remained so at the preschool assessment. Attachment and caregiving continuities across the infancy-preschool period were highest for the stable secure attachment group and lowest for the stable insecure attachment group. Loss of secure attachment to mother by age 4 years correlated with decreased maternal caregiving sensitivity, and acquisition of secure status by age 4 was associated with increased maternal sensitivity. We found no difference in caregiving sensitivity scores for mothers and fathers for female and male preschool children. The contemporary infant and preschool attachment proportions we report here closely mirror the patterns of those reported in prior decades, with an inclination towards secure base relationships. Our findings alert practitioners anew to the responsiveness of early attachment status to change in caregiving responsiveness and support ongoing investment in early identification of disorganised attachment.

Attachment style and children and young people with chronic dermatological conditions.

Dermatological conditions are common in childhood and, in their more severe forms, can cause pain, disability and social marginalisation. Despite attachment being a known factor contributing to psychological and physiological development in childhood and several adult studies showing associations between attachment and dermatology outcomes (Tomas-Aragones, 2018), attachment in young dermatology patients has not been investigated. This study examined if (1) 8-16-year-olds with chronic dermatological conditions were more likely to show attachment insecurity than general population peers; (2) attachment style was linked to psychological functioning; and (3) facial involvement was associated with attachment insecurity. One hundred and twenty-two 8-16-year-olds attending a specialist paediatric dermatological service were compared on the Child Attachment Interview (CAI) to general population data. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to measure psychosocial functioning. The dermatology group was significantly more likely to be insecurely attached than their general population peers (χ2 [1] = 4.76, p < .05). The secure group self-reported significantly better psychological functioning on all indices compared with the insecure group (Total Difficulties: F[1,89] = 15.30, p < .001). There were no significant differences between secure and insecure groups on parent-reported psychological measures (Total Difficulties: F[1,94] = 0.67, p = .42). Children with facial involvement were not significantly more likely to be insecurely attached. Increased risk of attachment insecurity, particularly in the anxious pre-occupied category, as well as an association between attachment and psychosocial functioning resonated with adult studies suggesting that further research about the role of attachment with young dermatology patients is warranted.