Hunger in young children of Mexican immigrant families.
OBJECTIVE
To measure rates of hunger and food insecurity among young US-born Latino children with Mexican immigrant parents (Latinos) compared with a non-immigrant non-Latino population (non-Latinos) in a low-income clinic population.


METHODS
A repeated cross-sectional survey of 4278 caregivers of children < 3 years of age in the paediatric clinic of an urban county hospital for a 5-year period from 1998 to 2003. A total of 1310 respondents had a US-born child with at least one parent born in Mexico. They were compared with a reference group comprised of non-Latino US-born participants (n = 1805). Child hunger and household food insecurity were determined with the US Household Food Security Scale.


RESULTS
Young Latino children had much higher rates of child hunger than non-Latinos, 6.8 versus 0.5%. Latino families also had higher rates of household food insecurity than non-Latinos, 53.1 versus 15.6%. Latino children remained much more likely to be hungry (odds ratio (OR) = 13.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.9-28.7, P < 0.01) and in household food-insecure households (OR = 6.6, 95% CI = 5.2-8.3, P < 0.01) than non-Latinos after controlling for the following variables in multivariate analysis: child's age, sex, maternal education level, single-headed household status, family size, young maternal age ( < 21 years), food stamp programme participation, TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, or 'welfare') programme participation and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) usage, and reason for clinic visit (sick visit versus well-child).


CONCLUSIONS
Young children in Mexican immigrant families are at especially high risk for hunger and household food insecurity compared with non-immigrant, non-Latino patients in a low-income paediatric clinic.
Kersey
Margaret
M
Department of Pediatrics, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55415, USA. kerse003@umn.edu
Geppert
Joni
J
Cutts
Diana B
DB
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger / Q000502:physiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011203:Poverty; D011632:Public Assistance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology