Food Insecurity: Comparing Odds between Working-age Veterans and Nonveterans with Children

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

3-2021

Abstract

Background

Low-income, working-age Veterans with children have risk for food insecurity. Less known is extent to which their risk compares to nonveterans.

Purpose

To evaluate odds of food insecurity for working-age Veterans with children compared to socioeconomically-matched nonveterans with children.

Method

We constructed a propensity score-matched cohort using 2011–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. Covariate-adjusted logistic regressions estimated Veterans’ odds for overall food insecurity and for each level of severity compared to nonveterans.

Findings

We matched 155 Veterans to 310 nonveterans on gender, race/ethnicity, education, income. Models were adjusted for age, marital-status, depression, and listed matched variables. Although Veteran-status had no effect on overall food insecurity (odds ratio = 1.09, 95% confidence interval [0.62,1.93]), Veteran-status increased odds for very low food security (odds ratio = 2.71, 95% confidence interval [1.21, 6.07]).

Discussion

Veterans do not have higher odds of food insecurity than non-veterans, but they are more likely to have the more severe very low food security (often associated with hunger) than non-veterans. Investigation of food insecurity's impact on Veteran health/well-being is needed.

Comments

Online, ahead of print 16 October 2020.

DOI

10.1016/j.outlook.2020.08.011

PMID

33070980

Publication

Nursing Outlook

Volume

69

Issue

2

Publisher

Elsevier

Pages

212-220

Link to Full Text


Share

COinS