Household Food Insecurity is Associated With Greater Growth in Body Mass Index Among Female Children from Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal association between household food security status and growth in body mass index (BMI) in a sample of U.S. children from kindergarten through eighth grade. In kindergarten, females in food insecure households had an average BMI that was 1.12% less (95% confidence interval [CI], −1.89, −0.34) than females in food secure households. Between kindergarten and eighth grade, females in food insecure households increased their BMI growth by 2.87% (95% CI, 1.27, 4.49) compared to females in food secure households. This growth resulted in a BMI in eighth grade that was 1.72% higher (95% CI, 0.34, 3.12) among females in food insecure households compared to those in food secure households. No significant differences were found for BMI growth in males based on household food security status. Household food insecurity is significantly associated with BMI growth in female children.