Food Insecurity and Weight Faltering: US Multisite Analysis of Young Children’s Weight Trajectory - 19/06/25
, Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba, PhD, MPH 1, 2, Maureen M. Black, PhD 3, 4, Ian Weijer, MPH 5, Carolina Giudice, MSc 6, Georgiana Esteves, MPH 7, Patricia Fabian, ScD 8, Antonella Zanobetti, PhD 9, Diana B. Cutts, MD 10, Félice Lê-Scherban, PhD, MPH 11, Megan Sandel, MD, MPH 12, Eduardo R. Ochoa, MD, FAAP 13, Deborah A. Frank, MD 12Abstract |
Background |
Food insecurity is associated with poor health and development among young children, with inconsistent findings related to longitudinal growth.
Objective |
The aim of this study was to investigate associations between household and child food insecurity and young children’s weight trajectory during ages 0 to 2 years.
Design |
Longitudinal survey data were analyzed for years 2009 to 2018.
Participants/setting |
Racially diverse mothers of 814 children ≤24 months interviewed twice (interval >6 months, mean 11 months) in emergency departments of 4 US cities. Children were included if born at term, with birth weight within 2500 to 4500 g, and weight-for-age z score within ±2 SD at first interview.
Main outcome measures |
Weight-for-age z score difference between 2 visits was defined as “expected weight gain” (within ±1.34 SD), “slow weight gain” (< –1.34 SD), or “rapid weight gain” (> +1.34 SD).
Statistical analyses performed |
Multinomial logistic regression was conducted to examine adjusted associations between household or child food insecurity and weight-for-age z score differences.
Results |
Of 814 children, 83.5% had expected weight gain, 7% had slow weight gain, and 9.5% had rapid weight gain, with mean ± SD of 11 ± 4 months between visits. Child food insecurity, but not household food insecurity, was associated with slow weight gain (adjusted relative risk ratio 2.44; 95% CI 1.16 to 5.13 and adjusted relative risk ratio 1.30; 95% CI 0.69 to 2.51, respectively). Neither exposure was associated with rapid weight gain.
Conclusions |
The association between child food insecurity and slow weight gain during the first 2 years of life raises clinical concern. Tracking child food insecurity in addition to household food insecurity can be an effective strategy to prevent weight faltering and to support optimal child growth.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Keywords : Food insecurity, Children, Growth, Weight trajectory, Slow weight gain
Plan
| Supplementary materials: Table 2, Table 3, Table 4, Table 5 are available at www.jandonline.org/ |
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| STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors. |
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| FUNDING/SUPPORT There is no funding to disclose. |
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| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors thank the families who shared their time and information with us. An earlier version of this analysis was presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting in Denver, CO, in April 2022. |
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| AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS A. Poblacion conceptualized and designed the study, conducted data analyses and interpretation, drafted the manuscript, reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the version to be published. S. Ettinger de Cuba, M. M. Black, and D. A. Frank conceptualized and designed the study, interpreted data, assisted in drafting the manuscript, reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the version to be published. I. Weijer, C. Giudice, and G. Esteves helped analyze and interpret data, assisted in drafting the manuscript, and approved the version to be published. D. B. Cutts, M. Sandel, M. M. Black, E. R. Ochoa Jr, and F. Lê-Scherban supervised acquisition of data, interpreted data, reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the version to be published. A. Zanobetti and P. Fabian helped interpret data, reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the version to be published. |
Vol 125 - N° 7
P. 900 - juillet 2025 Retour au numéro
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