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Patrick H. Casey, MD; Kitty L. Szeto, MS; James M. Robbins, PhD; Janice E. Stuff, PhD; Carol Connell, PhD; Jeffery M. Gossett, MS; Pippa M. Simpson, PhD

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005;159:51-56.

Objective  To examine the association of household food insecurity with child self- or proxy-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Design  Cross-sectional telephone survey from January 1, 2000, through June 30, 2000.

Participants  Three hundred ninety-nine children who live in 36 counties of the Delta region of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Main Outcome Measures  Household food insecurity status was measured using the US Household Food Security Scale. Child HRQOL was measured by the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, QL version 4.0.

Analysis  Summary statistics, linear and logistic regressions, incorporating survey weights, performed with SUDAAN version 8.

Results  Household food insecurity was significantly associated with total child HRQOL (P<.05) and physical function (P<.05), adjusted for child age, ethnicity, gender, and family income. Children aged 3 through 8 years in food insecure households were reported by parents to have lower physical function (P = .001), while children aged 12 through 17 years reported lower psychosocial function (P = .007). Black males in food insecure households reported lower physical function (P<.05) and lower total HRQOL (P<.05).

Conclusions  Children who live in food insecure households have poorer HRQOL. The effect on physical or psychosocial function may differ by age, ethnicity, and gender. Food security should be considered an important risk factor for child health.

Author Affiliations: Departments of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock (Drs Casey, Robbins, and Simpson and Ms Szeto and Mr Gossett); Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex (Dr Stuff); and Nutrition and Food Systems, College of Health, the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg (Dr Connell).

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