Household Food Insecurity and Asthma in the 3rd Grade of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study‐Kindergarten Cohort

In 2013, 20% of U.S. households with children experienced food insecurity, which is associated with poor physical and nutritional health and shares determinants such as poverty and race with asthma. Asthma afflicts over 7 million American children, and prevalence rates have steadily increased while incidence peaks in young children. Asthma is positively associated with childhood obesity; however, limited research on the relationship between food insecurity and asthma exists. The objective was to determine the association between food insecurity and asthma in a diverse sample of 3rd graders. Cross‐sectional data from the 3rd grade year (2002) of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study‐ Kindergarten cohort (ECLS‐K) were analyzed (N=11,480). Food security status was measured with the 18‐item USDA module. Asthma diagnosis and sociodemographic characteristics were based on parental report; anthropometric data were collected in person. Multivariate logistic regression was done to test the association between food security status and asthma, controlling for covariates. Children in food‐insecure households had higher odds of asthma (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.12‐1.70), independent of sex, race, weight, insurance coverage, household poverty, or maternal nativity or education. Being male (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.62‐2.05), non‐Hispanic Black (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.49‐2.09) or Hispanic (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.13‐1.64), and/or overweight (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.06‐1.46) or obese (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.42‐1.87) were positively associated with asthma. Food insecurity represents a threat to children's health beyond sociodemographic factors. Interventions to reduce chronic disease outcomes may need to address food insecurity.