Food (in)security in relation to nutrition (in)security in a national cross-sectional sample of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants: considerations of an emerging construct.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
adults
food assistance
food policy
food security
nutrition security
Journal
The American journal of clinical nutrition
ISSN: 1938-3207
Titre abrégé: Am J Clin Nutr
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0376027
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Jun 2024
Jun 2024
Historique:
received:
26
10
2023
revised:
12
03
2024
accepted:
22
03
2024
medline:
6
6
2024
pubmed:
6
6
2024
entrez:
5
6
2024
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Food insecurity, lack of access to sufficient food for an active, healthy life, is a persistent problem in the United States. Recently, nutrition security has emerged as a new concept. However, limited research exists examining how nutrition security relates to the established concept of food security. This study assessed a recent metric of nutrition security and explored how well it describes the underlying construct among a sample of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants. We examined the correlation between food and nutrition security and demographic predictors of joint food and nutrition security status. We conducted a national, web-based survey (Qualtrics; 30 September-19 October, 2022) in English and Spanish of adults aged ≥18 y (n = 1454) who reported receiving SNAP benefits in the past 12 mo. We measured food security using the US Department of Agriculture 6-item Food Security Survey and assessed nutrition security using the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition Household Nutrition Security measure. We used multinominal logistic regression to examine demographic predictors of food and nutrition security. The majority (80.4%) of SNAP participants experienced food insecurity, and 59.1% reported experiencing nutrition insecurity. Food and nutrition security were moderately correlated (0.41); 55.6% of SNAP participants were both food and nutrition insecure, 3.5% were food secure but nutrition insecure, 24.8% were food insecure but nutrition secure, and 16.1% were both food and nutrition secure. Of SNAP participants, 24.8% reported experiencing food insecurity but not nutrition insecurity. Hispanic ethnicity and Southern residence were associated with joint food and nutrition insecurity. These findings raise questions about how nutrition security is conceptualized and measured and its added value beyond existing food security measurement scales. Further research is needed to understand differences in food and nutrition security experiences and risk factors and determine a validated definition and measure of nutrition security for future policy solutions.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Food insecurity, lack of access to sufficient food for an active, healthy life, is a persistent problem in the United States. Recently, nutrition security has emerged as a new concept. However, limited research exists examining how nutrition security relates to the established concept of food security.
OBJECTIVES
OBJECTIVE
This study assessed a recent metric of nutrition security and explored how well it describes the underlying construct among a sample of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants. We examined the correlation between food and nutrition security and demographic predictors of joint food and nutrition security status.
METHODS
METHODS
We conducted a national, web-based survey (Qualtrics; 30 September-19 October, 2022) in English and Spanish of adults aged ≥18 y (n = 1454) who reported receiving SNAP benefits in the past 12 mo. We measured food security using the US Department of Agriculture 6-item Food Security Survey and assessed nutrition security using the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition Household Nutrition Security measure. We used multinominal logistic regression to examine demographic predictors of food and nutrition security.
RESULTS
RESULTS
The majority (80.4%) of SNAP participants experienced food insecurity, and 59.1% reported experiencing nutrition insecurity. Food and nutrition security were moderately correlated (0.41); 55.6% of SNAP participants were both food and nutrition insecure, 3.5% were food secure but nutrition insecure, 24.8% were food insecure but nutrition secure, and 16.1% were both food and nutrition secure. Of SNAP participants, 24.8% reported experiencing food insecurity but not nutrition insecurity. Hispanic ethnicity and Southern residence were associated with joint food and nutrition insecurity.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
These findings raise questions about how nutrition security is conceptualized and measured and its added value beyond existing food security measurement scales. Further research is needed to understand differences in food and nutrition security experiences and risk factors and determine a validated definition and measure of nutrition security for future policy solutions.
Identifiants
pubmed: 38839196
pii: S0002-9165(24)00390-3
doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.03.020
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
1475-1484Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2024 American Society for Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.