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Title: ARE CHILDREN IN THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI DELTA PROTECTED FROM THE C0NSEQUENCES OF FOOD INSECURITY?

Author
item ROBBINS, J - ACHRI
item CASEY, P - ACHRI
item SZETO, K - ACHRI
item JO, C - ACHRI, DAC
item SIMPSON, PIPPA - ACHRI, DAC
item STUFF, J - CNRC, BAYLOR COL OF MED
item WEBER, J - ACHRI
item CONNELL, C - UNIV SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
item CHAMPAGNE, C - PENNINGTON BIOMED RES CTR
item HARSHA, D - PENNINGTON BIOMED RES CTR
item McCabe Sellers, Beverly
item Bogle, Margaret

Submitted to: Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/12/2003
Publication Date: 4/23/2004
Citation: Robbins, J.M., Casey, P., Szeto, K., Jo, C., Simpson, P., Stuff, J., Weber, J., Connell, C., Champagne, C., Harsha, D., McCabe Sellers, B., Bogle, M.L. 2004. Are children in the Lower Mississippi Delta protected from the consequences of food insecurity [abstract]? Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 18(4):A513.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: It is not known whether household food insecurity is reflected in lower nutrient intake and poor diet quality of children. We determine whether children in food insecure households where the nutrient intake of adults is deficient also have deficient nutrient intake and poor diet quality. Interviews were completed on 440 households. Food security was measured by the US Food Security Scale. Nutrient intake determined by 24 hour recall. Parent-child pairs were constructed to measure within-household nutrient intake and diet quality. Approximately 1/4 of households with children (n = 110) were food insecure. Children in insecure households did not differ from children in secure households in mean scores on the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) (64.2 ± 1.5 vs. 64.2 ± .7) or macronutrient components of the HEI. No differences were noted between groups in average number of daily fruit (1.4 ± .12) or vegetable (2.5 ± .2) servings, or percentage of children receiving average requirements of micronutrients. Children from households where adults were deficient in nutrient intake were not more likely to have deficient nutrient intake or poorer diet quality than other children. While household food insecurity is translated into poorer than required nutrient intake of adults, children from those families are seemingly protected from inadequate nutrient intake and poor diet quality. Supported by ARS/USDA Project #6251-53000-003-00D