Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #161873
Title: HOUSEHOLD FOOD IN INSECURITY STATUS AND ADULT OBESITY

Author
item CASEY, P - ACHRI
item SZETO, K - ACHRI
item GOSSETT, J - ACHRI, DAC
item SIMPSON, P - ACHRI, DAC
item STUFF, J - CNRC, BAYLOR COL OF MEDIC
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 ROBBINS, J - ACHRI
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: Casey, P.H., Szeto, K., Gossett, J., Simpson, P., Stuff, J., Weber, J., Connell, C., Champagne, C., Harsha, D., Robbins, J., McCabe Sellers, B.J., Bogle, M.L. 2004. Household food in insecurity status and adult obesity [abstract]. Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 18(4):A109.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The association of household food insecurity status, which reflects inadequacy and instability of food supply in the home, with adult obesity has been inconsistent in research to date. Some have found no association, while others in women only. These associations have not been adequately evaluated in high risk populations. A representative sample of 1,659 adults from the lower Mississippi Delta Region of AR, LA, and MS, were interviewed by telephone from January to June, 2000. Measures included the US Food Security Survey Module, self reported weight and height, and household demographics. Adults with calculated BMI'30 were categorized as obese. Adults in food insecure (FI) households were significantly more likely to be obese (41.7% versus 33.1%). When stratifying by income, sex, and ethnicity separately, women in FI households (42.3% vs. 29.9%, p=0.05) and adults in FI households with income less than $15,000 (40.3% vs. 29.9% p=0.05) were more likely to be obese. In regression models controlling for these demographic variables, food insecurity was not found to be independently associated with obesity. In this high risk sample, obesity was more common in women and in low income households that report food insecurity, but after adjusting for important demographics, food insecurity is not independently associated with obesity. Supported by ARS/USDA Project #6251-5300-003-00D