Prevalence Of Food Insecurity Higher Among Children Ages 2 To 17 With Chronic Health Conditions

Food insecurity rates were higher among children aged 2 to 17 years with chronic health conditions compared with children without any chronic conditions, averaging 10.2% for all children, but affecting 14.8% of children with chronic health conditions compared to 9.0% of those without, according to recent research findings. Screening efforts for food insecurity and efforts to mitigate food insecurity should be prioritized for children with chronic conditions, the researchers suggested.

The findings were based on data from 2019 through 2023, and included children with one of seven chronic conditions—asthma, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder . . .