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Title: FOOD SECURITY AND WEIGHT STATUS IN LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA CHILDREN

Author
item HARSHA, D - DELTA NIRI
item CONNELL, C - DELTA NIRI
item CHAMPAGNE, C - DELTA NIRI
item CASEY, P - DELTA NIRI
item ROBBINS, J - DELTA NIRI
item SIMPSON, P - DELTA NIRI
item STUFF, J - DELTA NIRI
item WEBER, J - DELTA NIRI
item McCabe Sellers, Beverly
item SZETO, K - DELTA NIRI
item GOSSETT, J - DETLA NIRI
item Bogle, Margaret

Submitted to: Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/5/2004
Publication Date: 4/2/2005
Citation: Harsha, D., Connell, C., Champagne, C., Casey, P., Robbins, J., Simpson, P., Stuff, J., Weber, J., McCabe-Sellers, B.J., Szeto, K., Gossett, J., Bogle, M.L. 2005. Food security and weight status in Lower Mississippi River Delta children [abstract]. Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 19(5):A1023.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Background: The relationship between childhood food security and weight status in the US is unclear. Relevant data may direct remediation. Objective: To determine the association of household food security and weight status in youths in the Mississippi Delta. Design: 400 youths aged 3-17 were studied via a telephone survey conducted in 2000 in the Mississippi Delta of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Food security was derived from the US Household Food Security Survey. Weight status was calculated by Body Mass Index (BMI) from reported height and weight. Children were divided into food secure (N=306) or insecure (N=94) groups., and 3-4, 5-8, 9-11, and 12-17 age groups. Based on CDC BMI standards, they were further classified into under-(<5th), normal (5th-84th), or at risk of over-weight (> 85th percentile). Results: 41.6% of food secure children were normal weight, compared with 51.4 % of food insecure. 53.8% of food secure children were at risk of overweight, compared with 43.7% of insecure. 4.6% of secure were underweight, compared to 5.0% of insecure. BMI for secure was 22.4 (±0.52) and 23.1 (±0.80) for insecure. There were no significant differences for any comparisons (P values were 0.36-0.46), for the entire group and within age groups. Conclusions: We cannot support an association of household food security status with body weight status in youths at any age. Supported by USDA/ARS Project #6251-53000-004-00D.