Context and sequelae of food insecurity in children's development

Abstract

The authors examined the role of food insecurity in the etiology of children's cognitive and mental health problems. Data from a prospective longitudinal study of 1,116 United Kingdom families with twins (sample constructed in 1999-2000) were used to test associations among household food insecurity; income; maternal personality; household sensitivity to children's needs; and children's cognitive, behavioral, and emotional development. Food-insecure children had lower IQs and higher levels of behavioral and emotional problems relative to their peers. After differences in household income, the personalities of children's mothers, and the sensitivity of household organization to children's needs were accounted for, food-insecure children had moderately higher levels of emotional problems relative to food-secure children (β = 0.22, P = 0.02). Differences in children's cognitive development were accounted for by household income, and differences in their behavioral development were accounted for by their mothers' personalities and their households' sensitivity to children's needs. Results suggest that food insecurity was associated with school-aged children's emotional problems but not with their cognitive or behavioral problems after accounting for differences in the home environments in which children were reared. Mothers' personality and household sensitivity to children's needs may present challenges to improving outcomes of children with food insecurity.

Figure 1.

Mental health, at age 12 years, of United Kingdom children always food secure and ever food insecure during ages 7–10 years, Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study, 1999–2000. Food insecurity refers to material hardship related to food, including hunger. Error bars indicate ±1 standard error; P < 0.001 for all comparisons.

Figure 2.

Maternal personality and household sensitivity to children's needs in food-secure and food-insecure households, Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study, 1999–2000. Food insecurity refers to material hardship related to food, including hunger. Error bars indicate ±1 standard error; P < 0.001 for all comparisons.