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Objectives: We determined the degree of parent-adolescent concordance in reported household food security, and delineated variation in concordance as a function of selected household and parent-adolescent relationship characteristics. Methods: Cross-tabulations and Cohen's Kappa determined concordance. Multinomial logistic regressions delineated variation in concordance as a function of selected household and parent-adolescent relationship characteristics for Latino parent and adolescent dyads (N = 70). Results: Nearly half the households had concordant reports of household food security, but 34% were "discordant" such that parents reported food insecurity but adolescents did not, and 17% were "discordant" wherein adolescents reported food insecurity but parents did not. Elevated parent- adolescent conflict was associated with greater odds of discordance wherein adolescent reported food insecurity but parent did not. Households with female adolescents and income ≥ $30,000/year were associated with lower odds of discordance wherein parent reported food insecurity but adolescent did not. Conclusions: Discordant reports of Latino household food security suggest the burden of unequal access to sufficient foods may be underestimated. Discordant reports may follow from cultural values that may encourage adolescents to keep hunger from their parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study was to provide a descriptive case study of a dollar-for-dollar match program at farmers' markets for families using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Specifically, the study sought to examine characteristics (e.g., demographics, household food security), needs, and benefits of families using the match program. It also sought to examine recommendations from families in order to improve the match program. Participants included 143 parents and caregivers of children from ages 5-10, who received services through the weekly match program at markets designed for individuals receiving SNAP benefits. While shopping at farmers' markets, parents completed questionnaires regarding several domains including service usage, shopping habits, food consumption patterns, and household food security. Parents reported that they strongly agreed that fruits and vegetables were important to their health. However, only 35.9% of parents indicated that they strongly agreed that they could afford to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Overall, parents reported a positive impact of service use and appeared to value fresh fruits and vegetables. Implications for policy development as well as recommendations for future studies focusing on health promotion in children and families are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Disruptions from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic potentially exacerbated food insecurity among adults and youth., Objectives: The objective was to examine changes in the prevalence and severity of food insecurity among adults and youth from before (2019) to during (2020) the pandemic in multiple countries., Methods: Repeated cross-sectional data were collected among adults aged 18-100 y (n = 63,278) in 5 countries in November to December in 2018-2020 and among youth aged 10-17 y (n = 23,107) in 6 countries in November to December in 2019 and 2020. Food insecurity in the past year was captured using the Household Food Security Survey Module and the Child Food Insecurity Experiences Scale. Changes in the prevalence and severity of food insecurity were examined using logistic and generalized logit regression models, respectively. Models included age, gender, racial-ethnic identity, and other sociodemographic characteristics associated with food insecurity to adjust for possible sample differences across waves. Models were weighted to reflect each country's population., Results: Adults [adjusted OR (AOR): 1.15; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.31] and youth (AOR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.19, 1.71) in Mexico were more likely to live in food-insecure households in 2020 compared to 2019. Adults in Australia (AOR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.92) and Canada (AOR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.77, 0.99) were less likely to live in food-insecure households in 2020. Trends in severity aligned with changes in prevalence, with some exceptions. Youth in Australia (AOR: 2.24; 95% CI: 1.65, 3.02) and the United States (AOR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.86) were more likely to have many compared with no experiences of food insecurity in 2020 compared to 2019. There was no evidence of change among adults and youth in the remaining countries., Conclusions: Except for Mexico, few changes in food insecurity among adults and youth were observed from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic. Action is needed to support households at risk of food insecurity., (Copyright © 2023 American Society for Nutrition. All rights reserved.)

This study provides US national-level estimates of exposure to and persistence of food insecurity in a period of 5 consecutive years. Based on longitudinal data from the Survey of Program Dynamics (SPD) (n = 12,185), 16.9% of the US population was exposed to household food insecurity in at least 1 year and 1.04% experienced persistent insecurity for 5 years from 1998 to 2002. Assuming that transition probabilities are stable, a Markov model allows further estimates for a longer period. From this approach, 25.9% of the US population was exposed to household food insecurity in a 10-year period. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the Publisher's online edition of Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition to view the free supplemental file. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food security-consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life-is essential for health and good nutrition. We examine differences between Canada and the United States in the prevalence and distribution of household-level, income-related food insecurity as a step toward understanding effects of economic, policy, and program factors on food security. We use nationally representative data on the food security of Canadian households from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 2.2 (CCHS 2.2) and United States households from the 2003, 2004, and 2005 Current Population Survey Food Security Supplements (CPS-FSS). The two surveys used the same 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module, but Health Canada and the United States Department of Agriculture combined responses in somewhat different ways to determine the food security status of households. We examine effects of the methodological differences. Then, applying the Health Canada classification protocol to the data from both countries, we compare Canadian and US food insecurity rates nationally and for selected subpopulations. Food insecurity was substantially less prevalent in Canada than in the United States (9.0% vs 14.1% using the Canadian adult food security measure). The difference was larger in households with children, for which the prevalence rate of food insecurity in Canada was about half that in the United States. These differences reflected primarily differences in food insecurity prevalence rates within each income adequacy range rather than differences in income distribution between the two countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The US Food Security Scale (USFSS) measures household and child food insecurity (CFI) separately. Our goal was to determine whether CFI increases risks posed by household food insecurity (HFI) to child health and whether the Food Stamp Program (FSP) modifies these effects. From 1998 to 2004, 17,158 caregivers of children ages 36 mo were interviewed in six urban medical centers. Interviews included demographics, the USFSS, child health status, and hospitalization history. Ten percent reported HFI, 12% HFI and CFI (H&CFI). Compared with food-secure children, those with HFI had significantly greater adjusted odds of fair/poor health and being hospitalized since birth, and those with H&CFI had even greater adverse effects. Participation in the FSP modified the effects of FI on child health status and hospitalizations, reducing, but not eliminating, them. Children in FSP-participating households that were HFI had lower adjusted odds of fair/poor health [1.37 (95% CI, 1.06-1.77)] than children in similar non-FSP households [1.61 (95% CI, 1.31-1.98)]. Children in FSP-participating households that were H&CFI also had lower adjusted odds of fair/poor health [1.72 (95% CI, 1.34-2.21)] than in similar non-FSP households [2.14 (95% CI, 1.81-2.54)]. HFI is positively associated with fair/poor health and hospitalizations in young children. With H&CFI, odds of fair/poor health and hospitalizations are even greater. Participation in FSP reduces, but does not eliminate, effects of FI on fair/poor health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Objective: This study analyzed the relationship between household food security and variation in age at menarche, as well as the connections between food insecurity, nutritional status, and allostatic load, among girls aged 12-15 years from the 2009-2014 United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)., Methods: Data analysis included mean comparisons of age at menarche among household food security groups (high, marginal, low, and very low) as well as categorical variables known to associate with age at menarche (ethnicity, poverty status, body mass index [BMI], allostatic load, and milk consumption). χ 2 Analyses were used to test the associations between household food security and additional categorical variables. Univariate and multivariate regression models were used to test the relationship between variation in age at menarche and household food security, ethnicity, BMI, and allostatic load categories while controlling for age., Results: Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic/Mexican American girls had earlier mean ages at menarche, higher mean BMIs, and disproportionately experienced household food insecurity when compared to non-Hispanic White-identifying girls. In the univariate analyses, marginal household food security, Hispanic/Mexican American and Black ethnicities, overweight and obese BMI categories, and marginal-high allostatic load were each associated with lower age at menarche compared to reference categories. These associations were maintained in the multivariate analysis, although only Hispanic/Mexican American ethnicity predicted earlier menarche when compared to that of non-Hispanic White girls., Conclusions: Marginal household food security, particularly for girls who identified as non-White, predicted earlier age at menarche independent of nutritional status and allostatic load. At the same time, having more energetic resources (ie, higher BMI) also significantly predicted earlier menarche., (Copyright © 2021 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Children's food-security status has been described largely based on either the classification of food security in the household or among household children, but few studies have investigated the relationship between food security among household children and overall dietary quality. Our goal was to examine children's dietary quality and micronutrient adequacy by food-security classification for the household and among household children. Data from 5540 children (2-17 years) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014 were analyzed. Food-security status was assessed using the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module and categorized into high, marginal, low, and very low food security for the households and among household children. Dietary quality and micronutrient adequacy were characterized by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2015 and Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR; based on total nutrient intakes from diet and dietary supplements), respectively. The HEI 2015 scores did not substantially vary by either food-security classification, but the MAR was greater in high compared to very low food security in households and among household children; a linear relationship was found only among household children. In general, very good agreement was observed between the classifications, but the strength of agreement differed by children's age, race/Hispanic origin, and family income. In conclusion, micronutrient adequacy, but not dietary quality, significantly differed by food-security status. While the agreement between food security in the household and among household children is very good, classification of food security among household children may be more sensitive to detecting differences in exposure to nutrients.

Household food insecurity is a serious public health concern in high-income countries. Canada and the USA regularly monitor household food insecurity, while in other countries, such as the UK, it has been the rapid rise of food bank usage that has drawn increased attention to this longstanding, but largely overlooked, problem. This review evaluates evidence on interventions intended to reduce household food insecurity in high-income countries. Research on social protection interventions suggests both cash transfers and food subsidies (e.g. the US Supplement Nutrition and Assistance Programme) reduce household food insecurity. In contrast, research on community-level interventions, such as food banks and other food programmes, suggests limited impacts. Although food banks have become a common intervention for food insecurity in high-income countries, evidence suggests their reliance on donations of volunteer time and food make them inevitably limited in the assistance they are able to provide. The stigma people feel using food banks may also make them untenable. Alternatives to, or enhanced, food banks such as community shops or community kitchens, have become common, but evidence also suggests they may be limited in effectiveness if they do not reach people experiencing food insecurity. This review highlights the difficulty of trying to address household food insecurity with community-based food interventions when solutions likely lie upstream in social protection policies.

Background: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance benefits to low-income families in an effort to reduce hunger and improve health and well-being. Because 1 in 7 Americans participate in the program each month, policymakers need to know whether the program is meeting these objectives effectively., Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between SNAP participation and household food security using recent data from the largest national survey of the food security of SNAP participants to date., Methods: The analysis used a survey of nearly 6500 households and a quasi-experimental research design that consisted of 2 sets of comparisons. Using a cross-sectional sample, we compared information collected from SNAP households within days of program entry with information collected from a contemporaneous sample of SNAP households that had participated for ∼6 mo. Next, using a longitudinal sample, we compared baseline information collected from new-entrant SNAP households with information from those same households 6 mo later. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate associations between SNAP and household food security., Results: SNAP participation decreased the percentage of SNAP households that were food insecure in both samples by 6-17%. SNAP participation also decreased the percentage of households experiencing severe food insecurity--designated very low food security--by 12-19%. Findings were qualitatively robust to different empirical specifications., Conclusion: SNAP serves a vital role in improving the health and well-being of households by increasing food security. Given recent legislation to reduce program size and limit program eligibility, this study underscores SNAP's continued importance in affecting households' well-being. Future research is needed to determine whether specific groups of households experience differential improvements in food security., (© 2015 American Society for Nutrition.)