Holben David H, Pheley Alfred M
School of Human and Consumer Sciences, Ohio University, Grover Center W324, Athens, OH 45701, USA.
Prev Chronic Dis. 2006 Jul;3(3):A82. Epub 2006 Jun 15.
In 2003, 11.2% of U.S. households were at some time food insecure; in 1999, when this study was conducted, 10.1% of U.S. households were at some time food insecure. A previous study of individuals from an Appalachian Ohio county suggested that food insecurity is associated with poorer self-reported health status. This larger study assesses the relationship of food security to clinical measurements of several chronic health risks among residents in six rural Appalachian Ohio counties.
Data for this report are a subset of data gathered by surveys completed by 2580 individuals at community-based sites and by on-site, limited clinical health assessments conducted with a subsample of 808 participants. Descriptive statistics were calculated to describe the sample. Student t tests were used to compare measured BMI, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, random blood glucose, HbA1c levels, and hemoglobin between individuals from food-secure and food-insecure households.
Our sample had about three times the level of food insecurity (with and without hunger) and more than seven times the level of food insecurity with hunger as the state population. Diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, random blood glucose, HbA1c, and hemoglobin did not differ by food security status (P > .05 for all); however, BMI was greater among individuals from food-insecure households, especially among women (t1272 = -2.0, P = .04), than among their food-secure counterparts. Obesity was greater among individuals from food-insecure households (48.1%) than among those from food-secure households (35.1%, P < .001).
This study examines possible causes and consequences of food insecurity as it relates to chronic disease development. Further investigation is needed in this community and in other Appalachian communities, as well as the United States, to determine relationships between food insecurity and chronic disease development and management.
2003年，11.2%的美国家庭曾在某个时期面临粮食不安全问题；1999年，即本研究开展之时，10.1%的美国家庭曾在某个时期面临粮食不安全问题。此前一项针对俄亥俄州阿巴拉契亚县居民的研究表明，粮食不安全与自我报告的较差健康状况相关。这项规模更大的研究评估了俄亥俄州六个农村阿巴拉契亚县居民的粮食安全状况与几种慢性健康风险临床测量指标之间的关系。
本报告的数据是从2580名个体在社区站点完成的调查问卷以及对808名参与者子样本进行的现场有限临床健康评估收集的数据子集中获取的。计算描述性统计量以描述样本。使用学生t检验比较粮食安全家庭和粮食不安全家庭个体的测量体重指数（BMI）、舒张压、总胆固醇、随机血糖、糖化血红蛋白（HbA1c）水平和血红蛋白。
我们的样本中粮食不安全（有饥饿和无饥饿）水平约为该州人口的三倍，有饥饿的粮食不安全水平超过该州人口的七倍。舒张压、总胆固醇、随机血糖、HbA1c和血红蛋白在粮食安全状况方面无差异（所有P>0.05）；然而，粮食不安全家庭个体的BMI更高，尤其是女性（t1272 = -2.0，P = 0.04），高于粮食安全家庭个体。粮食不安全家庭个体的肥胖率（48.1%）高于粮食安全家庭个体（35.1%，P<0.001）。
本研究探讨了与慢性病发展相关的粮食不安全的可能原因和后果。需要在这个社区以及其他阿巴拉契亚社区和美国进行进一步调查，以确定粮食不安全与慢性病发展和管理之间的关系。
