title: Food insecurity among veterans of the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Food insecurity, or lack of access to sufficient food for a healthful lifestyle, has been associated with many aspects of poor health. While the economic struggles among veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been documented, it is unknown how commonly this population struggles to afford food. Our purpose was to document the prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among US veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  US military veterans who had served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since October 2001.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects responded to a survey mailed to them in summer 2012. Food security was measured by the US Household Food Security Module: Six Item Short Form. Demographic and behavioural health items were also included. Survey data were matched to medical record data from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over one in four veterans reported past-year food insecurity with 12 % reporting very low food security. Food-insecure veterans tended to be younger, not married/partnered, living in households with more children, earning lower incomes, had a lower final military pay grade, were more likely to use tobacco, reported more frequent binge drinking and slept less, compared with those who were food secure (P<0.05 for all associations listed).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Previously undocumented, the problem of hunger among our newest veterans deserves attention.
authors.affiliation: 1Division of Epidemiology and Community Health,University of Minnesota School of Public Health,1300 South 2nd Street #300,Minneapolis,MN 55454,USA.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Widome
authors.affiliation: 2VA HSR&D Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research (CCDOR),Minneapolis VA Health Care System,Minneapolis,MN,USA.
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: 2VA HSR&D Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research (CCDOR),Minneapolis VA Health Care System,Minneapolis,MN,USA.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bangerter
authors.affiliation: 2VA HSR&D Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research (CCDOR),Minneapolis VA Health Care System,Minneapolis,MN,USA.
authors.forename: Steven S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000523:psychology; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D066067:Military Family / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D012306:Risk; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D058014:Veterans Health / Q000191:economics
keywords: Behavioural health