TY - JOUR
T1 - Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Adolescent Food Insecurity in Baltimore
AU - Mmari, Kristin N
AU - Smith, Anne
AU - Gross, Susan
AU - Marshall, Beth
N1 - Funding Information:
This paper was not paid for by a grant or any funding mechanism other than internal funding from the authors’ institution.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - While emerging evidence is highlighting a growing problem of food insecurity among adolescents in disadvantaged neighborhoods, very little is known about the factors that may either protect or place adolescents at higher risk for food insecurity. The primary objective for this analysis, therefore, was to examine the associations between individual-, family-, and neighborhood-level risks and protective factors and food insecurity among 452 adolescents in Baltimore, Maryland. Results show that nearly 30% of our sample were food insecure (29.4%). Food insecure youth were more likely to be unstably housed (OR 5.17, 1.24–21.62), live in larger households (OR 1.14, 1.08–1.20), and perceive their neighborhoods unsafe (OR 2.37, 1.47–3.83). Protective factors included perceiving both male and female adult support (OR 0.55 and 0.47, respectively), having a higher sense of community belonging (OR 0.91, 0.32–0.95) and having positive perceptions of their neighborhood’s physical environment (OR 0.93, 0.88–0.98). These results suggest that strengthening family and neighborhood relations and resources may promote the health of adolescents in disadvantaged urban areas.
AB - While emerging evidence is highlighting a growing problem of food insecurity among adolescents in disadvantaged neighborhoods, very little is known about the factors that may either protect or place adolescents at higher risk for food insecurity. The primary objective for this analysis, therefore, was to examine the associations between individual-, family-, and neighborhood-level risks and protective factors and food insecurity among 452 adolescents in Baltimore, Maryland. Results show that nearly 30% of our sample were food insecure (29.4%). Food insecure youth were more likely to be unstably housed (OR 5.17, 1.24–21.62), live in larger households (OR 1.14, 1.08–1.20), and perceive their neighborhoods unsafe (OR 2.37, 1.47–3.83). Protective factors included perceiving both male and female adult support (OR 0.55 and 0.47, respectively), having a higher sense of community belonging (OR 0.91, 0.32–0.95) and having positive perceptions of their neighborhood’s physical environment (OR 0.93, 0.88–0.98). These results suggest that strengthening family and neighborhood relations and resources may promote the health of adolescents in disadvantaged urban areas.
KW - Family factors
KW - Food insecurity
KW - Neighborhood factors
KW - Urban adolescents
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U2 - 10.1007/s11524-020-00488-w
DO - 10.1007/s11524-020-00488-w
M3 - Article
C2 - 33094426
AN - SCOPUS:85093817600
JO - Journal of Urban Health
JF - Journal of Urban Health
SN - 1099-3460
ER -