title: No food for thought: moderating effects of delay discounting and future time perspective on the relation between income and food insecurity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low income is related to food insecurity, and research has suggested that a scarcity of resources associated with low income can shift attention to the present, thereby discounting the future.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We tested whether attending to the present and discounting the future may moderate the influence of income on food insecurity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Delay discounting and measures of future time perspective (Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, Consideration of Future Consequences Scale, time period of financial planning, and subjective probability of living to age 75 y) were studied as moderators of the relation between income and food insecurity in a diverse sample of 975 adults, 31.8% of whom experienced some degree of food insecurity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Income, financial planning, subjective probability of living to age 75 y, and delay discounting predicted food insecurity as well as individuals who were high in food insecurity. Three-way interactions showed that delay discounting interacted with financial planning and income to predict food insecurity (P = 0.003). At lower levels of income, food insecurity was lowest for subjects who had good financial planning skills and did not discount the future, whereas having good financial skills and discounting the future had minimal influence on food insecurity. The same 3-way interaction was observed when high food insecurity was predicted (P = 0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because of the role of scarce resources on narrowing attention and reducing prospective thinking, research should address whether modifying future orientation may reduce food insecurity even in the face of diminishing financial resources.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo. NY (LHE, NJ, HL, and RP), and the Addiction Recovery Research Center, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA (MNK and WKB).
authors.forename: Leonard H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo. NY (LHE, NJ, HL, and RP), and the Addiction Recovery Research Center, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA (MNK and WKB).
authors.forename: Noelle
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jankowiak
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo. NY (LHE, NJ, HL, and RP), and the Addiction Recovery Research Center, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA (MNK and WKB).
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo. NY (LHE, NJ, HL, and RP), and the Addiction Recovery Research Center, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA (MNK and WKB).
authors.forename: Rocco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paluch
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo. NY (LHE, NJ, HL, and RP), and the Addiction Recovery Research Center, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA (MNK and WKB).
authors.forename: Mikhail N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Koffarnus
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo. NY (LHE, NJ, HL, and RP), and the Addiction Recovery Research Center, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA (MNK and WKB).
authors.forename: Warren K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Bickel
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D001288:Attention; D001294:Attitude to Health; D065786:Delay Discounting; D004032:Diet / Q000523:psychology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult