Contributing Factors to Overweight/Obesity in Youth Living in Food Secure vs. Food Insecure Households

Childhood overweight/obesity has become an epidemic in this country. Although seemingly paradoxical, food insecurity, limited household access to food due to economic and social conditions, is one of several factors that have been associated with this condition. Further, past research on this subject has yielded conflicting findings.;Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify factors contributing to overweight/obesity in children living in food insecure households or who themselves are food insecure versus factors contributing to overweight/obesity in children living in food secure households.;The study incorporated secondary data analysis using the most current NHANES data available: 2003-2006. Subjects were 1047 non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic White, and Mexican American males and females aged 12-19. They were divided into three groups: food secure children living in food secure households, food secure children living in food in secure households, and food insecure children living in food insecure households. Each group was matched by age and gender. Contributing factors to overweight/obesity investigated were: socio-demographics, dietary intakes, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors. Food secure children living in food secure households were most likely to White and from households with higher annual incomes. Dietary intakes were found to be significantly higher among normal weight children who were food secure and living in food secure households, and among normal weight children in the entire sample. Neither socio-demographic factors nor level of physical activity were found to be significantly related to weight/height status among children living in food secure and insecure households. Television watching and playing videos was significantly higher among overweight/obese children living in food secure households compared to children living in food insecure households. The study was unable to confirm that any of the factors examined were more likely to be contributors to overweight/obesity in children living in food insecure households as opposed to food secure households.;Recommendations for further study include developing strategies to improve the accuracy of self-reported dietary intakes, and exploring other potential contributing factors such as dietary behaviors, and stressors resulting from the food insecurity.