Background
Low-income, working-age Veterans with children have risk for food insecurity. Less known is extent to which their risk compares to nonveterans. Purpose
To evaluate odds of food insecurity for working-age Veterans with children compared to socioeconomically-matched nonveterans with children. Method
We constructed a propensity score-matched cohort using 2011–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. Covariate-adjusted logistic regressions estimated Veterans’ odds for overall food insecurity and for each level of severity compared to nonveterans. Findings
We matched 155 Veterans to 310 nonveterans on gender, race/ethnicity, education, income. Models were adjusted for age, marital-status, depression, and listed matched variables. Although Veteran-status had no effect on overall food insecurity (odds ratio = 1.09, 95% confidence interval [0.62,1.93]), Veteran-status increased odds for very low food security (odds ratio = 2.71, 95% confidence interval [1.21, 6.07]). Discussion
Veterans do not have higher odds of food insecurity than non-veterans, but they are more likely to have the more severe very low food security (often associated with hunger) than non-veterans. Investigation of food insecurity's impact on Veteran health/well-being is needed.
Kamdar, N., Lester, H. F., Daundasekara, S. S., Greer, A. E., Hundt, N. E., Utech, A., & Hernandez, D. C. (2021). Food insecurity: Comparing odds between working-age veterans and nonveterans with children. Nursing Outlook, 69(2), 212-220. Doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2020.08.011
Online, ahead of print 16 October 2020.