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Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Sadrivaan A and B (The Hilton Istanbul Hotel )
Background. Food insecurity in children is associated with poverty and poor scholastic achievement. The aim of our study was to investigate the moderating effect of school food programmes in underprivileged neighborhoods on the association between household food insecurity and scholastic difficulties in adolescents. Methods. We analyzed data from the Social and Health Survey of Children and Adolescents in Quebec, which was conducted in 1999 and which included 2346 13- and 16-year-old adolescent students (and 1983 of their parents). Sample-weighted regression analyses were performed to determine the association between household food insecurity and both poverty and scholastic difficulties and to explore the moderating role of school food supplementation programmes on this association.
Findings. Household food insecurity was closely associated with the indicators of family socioeconomic status. The lower the annual family income per consumer unit, parental education level and occupational status, the higher the risk of food insecurity. Household food insecurity was also highly associated with indicators of scholastic difficulties. This association disappeared for adolescents who availed themselves of school food supplementation programmes in underprivileged neighbourhoods. The risk of school activity limitation decreased from 3.04 (95% CI=[1.60-5.78]) to 1.56 (95% CI=[0.58-4.18]). The risk of below-average grades in the language of instruction decreased from 2.07 (95% CI=[1.23-3.50]) to 0.65 (95% CI=[0.25-1.68]), the risk of repeating a year decreased from 2.20 (95% CI=[1.41-3.45]) to 0.87 (95% CI=[0.42-1.81]), and the risk of self-rated poor academic performance decreased from 1.75 (95% CI=[1.10-2.79]) to 0.86 (95% CI=[0.40-1.86]).
Interpretation. School food supplementation is a moderating factor in the association between household food insecurity and scholastic difficulties in adolescents. Since academic achievement is one of the cornerstones for escaping from the heritage of poverty, fighting social disparities in such achievement could help break the cycle of intergenerational transmission of poverty and, as a result, social health inequalities.
Findings. Household food insecurity was closely associated with the indicators of family socioeconomic status. The lower the annual family income per consumer unit, parental education level and occupational status, the higher the risk of food insecurity. Household food insecurity was also highly associated with indicators of scholastic difficulties. This association disappeared for adolescents who availed themselves of school food supplementation programmes in underprivileged neighbourhoods. The risk of school activity limitation decreased from 3.04 (95% CI=[1.60-5.78]) to 1.56 (95% CI=[0.58-4.18]). The risk of below-average grades in the language of instruction decreased from 2.07 (95% CI=[1.23-3.50]) to 0.65 (95% CI=[0.25-1.68]), the risk of repeating a year decreased from 2.20 (95% CI=[1.41-3.45]) to 0.87 (95% CI=[0.42-1.81]), and the risk of self-rated poor academic performance decreased from 1.75 (95% CI=[1.10-2.79]) to 0.86 (95% CI=[0.40-1.86]).
Interpretation. School food supplementation is a moderating factor in the association between household food insecurity and scholastic difficulties in adolescents. Since academic achievement is one of the cornerstones for escaping from the heritage of poverty, fighting social disparities in such achievement could help break the cycle of intergenerational transmission of poverty and, as a result, social health inequalities.
Learning Objectives: Identifying health needs in children according to social health inequalities
Sub-Theme: Social determinants of health and disease
See more of: Poster: Social Determinants of Health and Disease
See more of: Public Health Research & Policy Development
See more of: Public Health Research & Policy Development