Food Security Moderates the Relationships of Muscle Mass with Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance

Household Food Insecurity and Metabolic Syndrome in Adults: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Household food insecurity (HFI) refers to the lack of access to safe and nutritious food, and this condition may be associated with the occurrence of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Thus, this study aimed to conduct a quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis) to summarize the evidence from epidemiological studies on the association between HFI and MetS. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Information Center databases to retrieve epidemiological studies published until October 2023. The entire process of selection, data extraction, and assessment of article quality was independently performed by two reviewers. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the criteria proposed by the National Institutes of Health instrument. The random-effects model was used to report the quantitative synthesis of combined data. The Q-test and I2 index were used to assess heterogeneity. Egger's and Begg's tests were employed to evaluate publication bias. Results: A total of 10 articles meeting the eligibility criteria were selected and included in this meta-analysis. High heterogeneity was observed among the studies (I2 > 70), along with a low risk of publication bias. Considering all ten included studies, no statistically significant association was found between HFI and MetS (odds ratio = 1.17; 95% confidence interval: 0.89-1.55; I2 = 79.9%). Conclusions: The findings of this meta-analysis did not reveal a statistically significant association between HFI and MetS, indicating the need for further studies aimed at exploring and expanding the scientific evidence on this relationship.

An Increase in Food Insecurity Correlated with an Increase in Plasma Triglycerides among Latinx Children

BACKGROUND

Food insecurity and metabolic diseases both disproportionately affect Hispanic children. Cross-sectional studies have linked food insecurity with adverse cardiometabolic markers, including elevated plasma triglycerides and glucose concentrations. However, the association between changes in food insecurity and changes in cardiometabolic markers in children remains to be explored. Furthermore, few studies have assessed the impact of school-based nutrition interventions on household food insecurity.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this study are to assess the effect of the TX Sprouts intervention on household food insecurity and to examine the association between changes in household food insecurity and changes in cardiometabolic markers over 1 academic year.

METHODS

This secondary analysis used data from TX Sprouts, a cluster-randomized school-based gardening, cooking, and nutrition trial. The study enrolled 3rd-5th-grade students from 16 schools that served primarily (>50%) Hispanic families with low income in Austin, TX. Participants (n = 619) provided household food insecurity data and fasting lipid panels at both baseline and postintervention, ∼9 mo following.

RESULTS

There was no intervention effect on household food insecurity. Independent of the intervention, a 1-point increase in food insecurity, indicative of becoming more food insecure, was associated with a 2.61 mg/dL increase in triglycerides (P = 0.001; 95% CI: 1.04, 4.19) at follow-up. Children who were food insecure at baseline and became food secure at follow-up had a mean 5.05 mg/dL decrease in triglycerides compared with a 7.50 mg/dL increase in triglycerides in children who remained food insecure throughout (95% CI: -23.40, -1.71, P = 0.023). There were no other associations between changes in food insecurity and cardiometabolic markers.

CONCLUSION

Although the intervention did not improve food insecurity, reductions in food insecurity over 9 mo were associated with improved cardiometabolic markers in high-risk children, emphasizing the need for interventions targeting food insecurity. The study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov under NCT02668744 (https://classic.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov/ct2/show/NCT02668744).