Loth Katie A, Wall Melanie, Zhang Zhijun, Larson Nicole, Hazzard Vivienne M, Barry Mikayla R, Neumark-Sztainer Dianne
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Medical School, University of Minnesota, USA.
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, USA.
Appetite. 2025 Jul 19;215:108226. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2025.108226.
Food insecurity affects over 10 % of U.S. households, with higher rates among families with children. Emerging evidence suggests that food insecurity may contribute to disordered eating behaviors. This study explored the prevalence of food insecurity and its associations with restrictive, compensatory and binge-eating behaviors among parents and adults without children (non-parents) using data from two interrelated population-based cohorts (N = 3216) recruited from public schools in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area as part of the Project EAT studies. Adjusting for adult age, food insecurity was more prevalent among parents (23 %) than non-parents (14 %). Food insecurity was associated with more disordered eating, including restrictive behaviors and binge eating in both parents and non-parents, self-induced vomiting and smoking in parents, and laxative misuse in non-parents. Strengths of associations did not differ by parental status except for fasting to control weight, which was more strongly associated with food insecurity among parents. The elevated rates of food insecurity among parents and its association with disordered eating point to a dual risk for health consequences. These behaviors may perpetuate an intergenerational cycle of disordered eating, as children often model caregivers' habits. The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions addressing both food insecurity and disordered eating, especially among parents, to mitigate adverse outcomes and break the cycle of unhealthy eating patterns across generations. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing effective strategies that support vulnerable populations, improve health outcomes, and foster healthier eating behaviors within families.
粮食不安全影响着超过10%的美国家庭，有子女的家庭比例更高。新出现的证据表明，粮食不安全可能导致饮食行为紊乱。本研究利用从明尼阿波利斯-圣保罗地区公立学校招募的两个相关的基于人群的队列（N = 3216）的数据，探讨了粮食不安全的患病率及其与有子女的父母和无子女的成年人（非父母）的限制饮食、代偿性饮食和暴饮暴食行为之间的关联，该研究是“吃得健康”（Project EAT）研究的一部分。在调整了成年人年龄后，父母中粮食不安全的患病率（23%）高于非父母（14%）。粮食不安全与更多的饮食紊乱有关，包括父母和非父母的限制饮食行为和暴饮暴食、父母的自我催吐和吸烟，以及非父母的泻药滥用。除了为控制体重而禁食外，关联强度在父母身份方面没有差异，禁食与父母中粮食不安全的关联更强。父母中粮食不安全率的升高及其与饮食紊乱的关联表明存在健康后果的双重风险。这些行为可能使饮食紊乱的代际循环持续下去，因为儿童往往模仿照顾者的习惯。研究结果强调需要有针对性的干预措施，同时解决粮食不安全和饮食紊乱问题，特别是在父母中，以减轻不良后果并打破几代人不健康饮食模式的循环。了解这些动态对于制定有效的策略至关重要，这些策略可以支持弱势群体、改善健康结果并促进家庭中更健康的饮食行为。
