Dietary intake, behaviors and psychosocial factors among women from food-secure and food-insecure households in the United States

Abstract

Objective: Determine whether macro- and micro-nutrient intake, energy intake, diet quality, adherence to recommended dietary intake, and psychosocial and behavioral factors are associated with household food security. Design: Baseline data from in-person interviews and telephone-based, 24-hour dietary recall from women recruited to a diet and physical activity controlled trial. Setting: Neighborhoods encompassing 18 urban census tracts in South Carolina. Participants: Participants (n=202) were predominantly African American (87%), overweight or obese women aged 25 to 51 years with mean body mass index of 40.6±8.7. Main Outcomes Measures: Macro- and micro-nutrient intake, energy intake, diet quality, adherence to recommended dietary intake (via multi-pass, 24-h recall); diet-related self-efficacy and social support, healthy/lowfat and emotional eating behaviors, and depressive symptoms. Results: Women in food-secure (FS) and food insecure (FI) households were not different on health and sociodemographic characteristics. Women in FI households had lower self-efficacy and healthy/low-fat eating behaviors, and higher emotional eating and depressive symptoms compared with women in FS households. The groups did not differ on social support. Significant dietary differences were few (FS>FI on protein and lean meat; FS