Dietary Intake, Behaviors and Psychosocial Factors among Women from Food-Secure and Food-Insecure Households

Abstract

<p> </p><p><strong>Objective</strong>: Determine whether macro- and micro-nutrient intake, energy intake, diet quality, adherence to recommended dietary intake, and psychosocial and behavioral factors are associated with household food security.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Design:</strong> Baseline data from in-person interviews and telephone-based, 24-hour dietary recall from women recruited to a diet and physical activity controlled trial. <br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Setting:</strong> Neighborhoods encompassing 18 urban census tracts in South Carolina.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Participants:</strong> Participants (n=202) were predominantly African American (87%), overweight or obese women aged 25 to 51 years with mean body mass index of 40.6±8.7.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Main Outcomes Measures:</strong> Macro- and micro-nutrient intake, energy intake, diet quality, adherence to recommended dietary intake (via multi-pass, 24-h recall); diet-related self-efficacy and social support,<br />healthy/lowfat and emotional eating behaviors, and depressive symptoms.</p><p><br /><strong>Results:</strong> Women in food-secure (FS) and food insecure (FI) households were not different on health and sociodemographic characteristics. Women in FI households had lower self-efficacy and healthy/low-fat eating<br />behaviors, and higher emotional eating and depressive symptoms compared with women in FS households. The groups did not differ on social support. Significant dietary differences were few (FS&gt;FI on protein<br />and lean meat; FS&lt;FI on carbohydrate intake). For 29 of 35 (74%) dietary intake recommendations, less than 75% of women in both groups met each recommendation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> While food security status was associated with diet-related psychosocial and behavioral factors, it was associated with few aspects of dietary intake. Dietary intake overall was poor. Participants were not meeting guidelines for a diet supportive of general health or weight loss and management, regardless of food security status <em>Ethn Dis.</em> 2016;26(2):139-146; doi:10.18865/ed.26.2.139</p>