Household Food Insecurity across Childhood and Weight Change Attempts in Early Adolescence: Findings from a Nationally Representative Cohort of United States Youth.

Background: Youth with food insecurity may have a disproportionately high risk of experiencing body image concerns and unhealthy weight control behaviors, but these associations remain poorly understood. Understanding how food insecurity across childhood relates to adolescent weight change attempts may inform important strategies for addressing body image concerns and preventing risky weight control behaviors among youth. Objectives: This study aims to understand how food insecurity across childhood relates to weight change attempts in early adolescence. Methods: Children ( Results: Compared with children who remained food secure from grade 5 to grade 8, those who recently became food insecure were more likely to attempt weight loss in grade 8 [prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.25; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03, 1.52]. Children with food insecurity during 3-4 (compared with 0) total timepoints were also more likely to attempt weight loss in grade 8 (PR = 1.24; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.47). Associations with weight gain attempts were statistically nonsignificant. Conclusions: Both transient and persistent experiences of household food insecurity during childhood were associated with a greater likelihood of attempting weight loss in early adolescence. These findings emphasize the need for long-lasting food insecurity prevention strategies and the development of programs to promote healthy body image and eating patterns among children with food insecurity.