EPA-0669 – Food insecurity and children's symptoms of hyperactivity and inattention

Precarious Young Adults' Mental Health during the Pandemic: The Major Impact of Food Insecurity Independently of COVID-19 Diagnosis

The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on mental health across populations, especially young and precarious people. Furthermore, COVID-19 diagnosis itself has been associated with psychiatric symptoms. However, only a few studies have assessed the mental health of precarious youth, and examined a possible association with food insecurity, while including COVID-19 diagnosis in their analyses. We aimed to determine the prevalence of poor mental health in precarious youth during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to investigate its possible association with food insecurity, independently of COVID-19 diagnosis. In a cross-sectional study conducted in the context of an employment program for precarious youth (18-25 years) living in Paris, France, 823 individuals were assessed for depression, anxiety, subjective distress and food insecurity during the second lockdown of 2020. A directed acyclic graph (DAG)-based approach was used to identify confounders for inclusion in a multivariate regression model. Of the 823 precarious youth, 45.93% reported significant symptoms of depression, 36.69% anxiety, 39% distress and 25.39% suicidal ideation. In the multivariate analysis based on DAG, food insecurity (less than one meal per day) was associated with depression (OR = 2.30; CI%: 1.19-4.51), anxiety (OR = 2.51; CI%: 1.29-4.88), distress (OR = 2.36; CI%: 1.23-4.57) and suicidal ideation (OR = 4.81; CI%: 2.46-9.44), independently of age, gender, education, COVID-19 contact and COVID-19 diagnosis. This study highlights the importance of food insecurity on mental health among young precarious people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reducing food insecurity is essential to help reduce psychological distress.

Associations between food provision and feeding practices in socially disadvantaged childcare centres

Preschool children consume a large proportion of their daily food intake in their childcare settings. These settings, therefore, provide important opportunities for children to experience food socialisation, and related positive nutrition. Yet, the extent to which these opportunities are taken, particularly in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas where risk of poor nutrition is high, is not well documented. This study focused on 10 childcare centres in socially disadvantaged locations and examined daily feeding practices via direct in-situ observation (n = 189 children observed). Centres were randomly selected based on type of food provision: centre-provided (n = 5 centres) or family-provided (n = 5 centres). Analyses showed that where food was family-provided, educators were significantly more likely to use controlling feeding practices, including pressuring children to eat, restricting food choices and rushing children into finishing meals. These practices were particularly evident during mid-morning meals, where pressuring children to eat healthy foods first, was more often observed. Further research and interventions that target feeding practices in childcare are indicated and should consider how source of food provision impacts upon these practices.

Household food insecurity and preschool suspension/expulsion in the United States

Food insecurity is a serious public health concern, affecting approximately 15 million children in the U.S. alone. Exposure to household food insecurity has been linked to a host of deleterious outcomes among infants and children, including mental and behavioral health outcomes. Even so, scholars have yet to examine the connection between household food insecurity and early experiences of school punishment among preschool-aged children. The current study employs a nationally representative sample of 6100 preschool-aged children from the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health. Difference-of-means t-tests and multivariate logistic regression models examining the link between mild and moderate-to-severe household food insecurity and suspension/expulsion among preschool-aged children were conducted in 2020. All estimates were calculated using sample weights that adjust for nonresponse, probability of selection, and the demographic distribution of the target population (i.e., U.S. children attending preschool in 2016). The findings indicate a robust association between moderate-to-severe household food insecurity and suspension/expulsion among preschool-aged children. This association emerged only among male children, as their risk of suspension/expulsion increased more than 11-fold in the presence of moderate-to-severe food insecurity. Additional analyses revealed that a large portion of this association was attenuated upon accounting for parenting stress and child mental health. Trauma-informed nutrition assistance programming as well as early mental health assessment and consultation may yield collateral benefits in the form of reductions in preschool suspension/expulsion. Given the findings, moreover, future research should consider the role of household food insecurity in contributing to health inequities that perpetuate the school-to-prison pipeline.

Associations Between Household Food Insecurity in Early Childhood and Children's Kindergarten Skills

Using nationally representative data on a recent birth cohort of U.S.-born children in low-income households (n = 2,800-3,700), this study investigates associations between the timing and intensity of early childhood food insecurity and children's kindergarten reading, math, and social-emotional outcomes. Descriptive patterns reveal that approximately 20% of low-income 0- to 5-year-old children reside in food-insecure households. Food insecurity experienced during early childhood is unfavorably associated with social-emotional outcomes in kindergarten, controlling for household income and prior assessments of child social-emotional skills. Results are less consistent for cognitive outcomes but similar in magnitude. If replicated, findings may inform policy efforts to reduce disparities in early skills for approximately 15 million U.S. children in food-insecure households.