Summary
A high prevalence of food insecurity has persisted in the USA for the past two decades. Previous studies suggest that the association between food insecurity and obesity may vary by gender and race/ethnicity. We examined whether food insecurity was associated with BMI and obesity within gender and racial/ethnic groups in a large, diverse sample of low-income adults. Authors compare the distribution of BMI and obesity by food security levels within gender and racial/ethnic categories using data from the 2003–2009 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). The study sample included 35,747 nonelderly adults with households ≤200% of the federal poverty level.
Findings: Among Hispanic men, very low food security was associated with a 1.0 kg/m2 higher BMI and a 36% higher prevalence of obesity after multivariate adjustment. Among Hispanic women, very low food security was associated with a 1.1 kg/m2 higher BMI and a 22% higher prevalence of obesity. Positive associations were also observed for Asian women and multi-racial men. No significant associations were observed for non-Hispanic whites, African Americans, Asian men or multiracial women.
