title: Food insecurity and dietary quality in US adults and children: a systematic review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Food insecurity is adversely associated with the physical and mental health of adults and children, and the mechanism that underlies this association has been assumed to be dietary intake of lower quality in food insecure than food secure individuals. A thorough understanding of observed associations between food insecurity and dietary quality is needed to test this assumption and may highlight pathways through which to improve the health of food-insecure adults and children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We systematically reviewed all evidence of associations between food insecurity and dietary quality and contrasted associations observed in adults and those for children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Evidence came from studies that appeared in indexed, peer-reviewed journals and 1) sampled US residents, 2) separately sampled children and adults, 3) contained a measure of food insecurity or food insufficiency, and 4) included at least one measure of dietary quality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In adults, 170 associations between food insecurity and dietary quality were tested, and 50 associations (29%) suggested an adverse association. Food-insecure adults consumed fewer vegetables, fruit, and dairy products than did food secure adults and had lower intake of vitamins A and B-6, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. In children, 130 associations were tested, and 21 associations (16%) showed an adverse association. There was substantial evidence of only lower fruit consumption in food-insecure compared with food-secure children. Reporting and publication biases may have contributed to an overestimation of the association between food insecurity and dietary quality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Food insecurity is adversely associated with dietary quality in adults, particularly intakes of nutrient-rich vegetables, fruit, and dairy that promote good health. However, food insecurity was less-consistently associated with lower dietary quality in children. The idea that parents effectively shield their children from compromised dietary quality because of food shortages is supported by the evidence.
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
authors.forename: Karla L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
authors.forename: Leah M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Connor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D003611:Dairy Products / Q000191:economics; D004032:Diet / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics; D005638:Fruit / Q000191:economics; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009753:Nutritive Value; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014675:Vegetables / Q000191:economics