Household Food Insecurity Is Associated With Higher Adiposity Over Time Among Adolescents in Louisiana

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined how household food insecurity may impact longitudinal changes in adiposity among adolescents. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the link between household food insecurity and 2-year change in adolescent adiposity, with sex as a potential moderator. METHODS: Analyses included 222 adolescents living in and around Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who participated in the TIGER Kids study (baseline: June 2016-December 2017; follow-up: January 2018-August 2019). Household food security was measured using a validated two-question parent-reported survey. Adiposity outcomes were collected using anthropometry, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Multivariable multilevel models assessed associations between household food security and changes in adiposity. RESULTS: (b = 6.0% ± 2.2%, p = 0.0082), waist circumference (b = 4.1 ± 1.7 cm, p = 0.0158), total body fat percentage (b = 3.0% ± 1.3%, p = 0.0194) and visceral adipose tissue mass (b = 0.16 ± 0.06 kg, p = 0.0163), compared to their food-secure peers. The effect of food insecurity on adiposity did not differ between boys and girls. CONCLUSIONS: This longitudinal study highlights the deleterious influence of food insecurity on adolescent adiposity. Efforts to alleviate food insecurity may play an important role in preventing obesity in adolescents.