Urban-Rural Disparities in Food Insecurity and Weight Status among Children in the United States

Authors

Jayna M Dave
Tzuan A Chen
Alexandra N Castro
Mamie A White
Elizabeth A Onugha
Sloane Zimmerman
Debbe Thompson

Publication Date

7-4-2024

Journal

Nutrients

DOI

10.3390/nu16132132

PMID

38999879

PMCID

PMC11243017

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

7-4-2024

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Published Open-Access

yes

Keywords

Humans, Child, Food Insecurity, Rural Population, United States, Male, Female, Child, Preschool, Urban Population, Adolescent, Nutrition Surveys, Body Weight, Pediatric Obesity, Health Status Disparities, Prevalence, Food Supply, food insecurity, weight status, urban–rural differences, children, NHANES

Abstract

Place of residence (urban versus rural) is a contextual determinant of health that has received less attention in the food insecurity literature. The purpose of this study was to assess the urban–rural disparity in the prevalence of food insecurity and weight status among US children. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013–2016 with three age groups of children (2–5, 6–11, and 12–17 years old), the associations of weight status and child and household food security status by urban–rural residence were examined using Rao–Scott Chi-square tests. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Children living in urban areas were significantly more likely to experience household food insecurity (29.15%) compared to their rural counterparts (19.10%), among those aged 6–11 years. The associations between children’s weight status and child and household food security status were significant for children living in urban areas overall and different age groups but not for children living in rural areas. These trends were more pronounced in older age groups. Given the link between food insecurity and higher obesity rates, particularly among urban children, this study highlights the importance of incorporating food security interventions into future obesity prevention programs.