title: Household crowding and food insecurity among Inuit families with school-aged children in the Canadian Arctic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the relation of household crowding to food insecurity among Inuit families with school-aged children in Arctic Quebec.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data collected between October 2005 and February 2010 from 292 primary caregiver-child dyads from 14 Inuit communities. We collected information about household conditions, food security, and family socioeconomic characteristics by interviews. We used logistic regression models to examine the association between household crowding and food insecurity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nearly 62% of Inuit families in the Canadian Arctic resided in more crowded households, placing them at risk for food insecurity. About 27% of the families reported reducing the size of their children's meals because of lack of money. The likelihood of reducing the size of children's meals was greater in crowded households (odds ratio=3.73; 95% confidence interval=1.96, 7.12). After we adjusted for different socioeconomic characteristics, results remained statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interventions operating across different levels (community, regional, national) are needed to ensure food security in the region. Targeting families living in crowded conditions as part of social and public health policies aiming to reduce food insecurity in the Arctic could be beneficial.
authors.affiliation: Maria Ruiz-Castell is with Laval University/CHU de Québec Research Center, Quebec. Gina Muckle is with the School of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec, and CHU de Québec Research Center, Quebec. At the time of the study, Éric Dewailly was with the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Laval University, Quebec, and CHU de Québec Research Center, Quebec. Joseph L. Jacobson and Sandra W. Jacobson are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI. Pierre Ayotte and Mylène Riva are with the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Laval University, Quebec, and CHU de Québec Research Center, Quebec.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Castell
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muckle
authors.forename: Éric
authors.initials: É
authors.lastname: Dewailly
authors.forename: Joseph L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Sandra W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ayotte
authors.forename: Mylène
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Riva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001110:Arctic Regions / Q000208:ethnology; D002170:Canada; D017028:Caregivers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003441:Crowding; D005191:Family Characteristics / Q000208:ethnology*; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D004930:Inuit / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016015:Logistic Models; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012923:Social Class