title: Child health-related quality of life and household food security.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association of household food insecurity with child self- or proxy-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional telephone survey from January 1, 2000, through June 30, 2000.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred ninety-nine children who live in 36 counties of the Delta region of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
  
  
  METHODS
  Household food insecurity status was measured using the US Household Food Security Scale. Child HRQOL was measured by the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, QL version 4.0. Analysis Summary statistics, linear and logistic regressions, incorporating survey weights, performed with SUDAAN version 8.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Household food insecurity was significantly associated with total child HRQOL (P<.05) and physical function (P<.05), adjusted for child age, ethnicity, gender, and family income. Children aged 3 through 8 years in food insecure households were reported by parents to have lower physical function (P = .001), while children aged 12 through 17 years reported lower psychosocial function (P = .007). Black males in food insecure households reported lower physical function (P<.05) and lower total HRQOL (P<.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children who live in food insecure households have poorer HRQOL. The effect on physical or psychosocial function may differ by age, ethnicity, and gender. Food security should be considered an important risk factor for child health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, USA. CaseyPatrickH@uams.edu
authors.forename: Patrick H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: Kitty L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Szeto
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Robbins
authors.forename: Janice E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Stuff
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Connell
authors.forename: Jeffery M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gossett
authors.forename: Pippa M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Simpson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001131:Arkansas; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008145:Louisiana; D008297:Male; D008922:Mississippi; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D011203:Poverty; D011788:Quality of Life; D044469:Racial Groups; D012737:Sex Factors