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

Author
item HARSHA, DAVID - DELTA NIRI
item CONNELL, CAROL - DELTA NIRI
item CHAMPAGNE, CATHERINE - DELTA NIRI
item CASEY, PATRICK - DELTA NIRI
item ROBBINS, JAMES - DELTA NIRI
item SIMPSON, PIPPA - DETLA NIRI
item Stuff, Janice
item WEBER, JUDITH - DELTA NIRI
item McCabe Sellers, Beverly
item SZETO, KITTY - DELTA NIRI
item GOSSETT, JEFFREY - DELTA NIRI
item Kramer, Tim
item Bogle, Margaret

Submitted to: Pediatric Research
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/2/2004
Publication Date: 5/1/2004
Citation: Harsha, D., Connell, C., Champagne, C., Casey, P., Robbins, J., Simpson, P., Stuff, J., Weber, J., McCabe-Sellers, B., Szeto, K., Gossett, J., Kramer, T., Bogle, M. 2004. Food security and weight status in Lower Mississippi River Delta children [abstract]. Pediatric Research. 55(4):173A.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Background: The relationship between food security and weight status in children in the US is not well established. Data bearing on this topic may direct remediation efforts. Objective: To determine the association of household food security and weight status among children and adolescents in the Mississippi Delta. Design/Methods: 400 children aged 3-17 with complete data from a sample of 485 were studied from households queried via a telephone survey conducted January-June, 2000 in the Mississippi Delta of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. The sample included 1751 adults, representing 36 counties in those 3 states, a region with a high poverty rate. Food security was measured by the US Household Food Security Survey. Child 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) categories. Mean age for the food secure was 9.9 years (± 0.22) and for insecure 10.2 years (±0.36). Based on CDC age and gender appropriate BMI standards, they were further classified as being under-(<5th), normal (5th - 84th), or at risk of over-weight (> 85th percentile). Results: 41.6% of food secure children were normal weight, contrasted 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. Among secure, mean BMI was 22.4 (±0.52) compared with 23.1 (±0.80) for insecure. There were no significant differences for any comparisons (P value ranges from 0.36 to 0.46). Conclusions: Our data do not support an association of current household food security/insecurity with body weight status. Although food security possibly contributes, other factors may moderate the association between food security and weight status in these children. This study was funded by the Agricultural Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture; Project #6251-53000-003-00D.