Low-income women's dietary intakes are sensitive to the depletion of household resources in one month

Abstract

Food insecurity affects individuals' dietary intakes, but there have been few direct examinations of changes in individuals' intakes in the context of declining resources. This study examined changes in dietary intake over 30 d following the receipt of income in a sample of low-income, predominantly food-insecure women with children. Data on 182 women who received the bulk of their income in 1 monthly check were drawn from 2 Canadian studies. Equivalent 30-d measures of adult food security were constructed from participants' responses to items on the Radimer-Cornell questionnaire or the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module. Intake data from multiple 24-h dietary recalls collected over 1 mo were merged. Mixed linear models were used to examine relationships between women's energy, nutrient, and food intakes and the depletion in household resources over 30 d, as indicated by days since the receipt of the household's major source of income. Women's intakes of energy, milk products, and vegetables decreased significantly as the time since they received income increased. When their food security status was considered, women who were food secure or marginally insecure showed no significant within-month patterns, but significant declines in energy, carbohydrate, vitamin B-6, and fruit and vegetable intake were observed for women with moderate or severe adult food insecurity. The food intakes of women in deprived circumstances are sensitive to the decline in household resources following the receipt of a monthly check. © 2007 American Society for Nutrition.