(P19-04-26) Associations Between Nutrition Security and Food Insecurity Among Adults

Objectives: Food insecurity (FI) is the inconsistent availability, access, and affordability of sufficient and safe food, while nutrition insecurity (NI) considers diet quality and nutritional value. FI remains a critical public health challenge in the U.S with FI rising from 12.8% in 2022 to 13.7% in 2024, affecting 18.3 million households. FI is associated with increased risk of obesity, chronic diseases and poor mental health. Households suffering from FI often prioritize food quantity over quality, potentially leading to NI and exacerbating long-term health risks. This study assessed the prevalence of NI and examined its associations with FI and demographic predictors among adults who participated in three waves of a large cross-sectional survey, an area that has not been well explored in the existing literature.

Methods: Data from the general adult population were collected through the Gardner Food and Agricultural Policy Survey (n=3,183; 51.3% female; 68% White-Non-Hispanic; 19% ≥65 years; 41% low income). Participants completed an online survey administered quarterly to ~1,000 U.S. households via Qualtrics. Quota sampling matched the U.S. population by gender, age, income, and region for each wave. FI in the past 30 days was measured using the 6-item Food Security Survey Module. NI was assessed with the 4-item Center for Nutrition and Health Equity measure. Poisson regression examined the association between FI and NI, adjusting for sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, SNAP participation, and income.

Results: Among participants, the prevalence of NI was 37.8% and FI was 53.7%. The Poisson regression indicated that FI was significantly associated with NI scores, even after adjusting for related variables (RR= 6.81, 95% CI: 5.6 – 8.28). NI was positively associated with food assistance (RR= 1.14; 95% CI: 1.05-1.22) and age (p < .001) and negatively associated with income (p < .01).

Conclusions: FI among adults is strongly associated with NI scores. There is a need for interventions that address diet quality and food access to reduce health disparities and improve population health outcomes. Future research is needed to examine the longitudinal relationships between FI and NI.

Funding Sources: Gardner Agricultural Policy Program (University of Illinois) and Purdue University start-up funds.