Food Insecurity and Rural Child and Family Functioning

Is food insecurity associated with caregiver well-being, family relationships, and child mental health?In this cross-sectional study of 61 child caregivers in rural food-insecure households conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, greater day-to-day fluctuations in food security were associated with child mental health problems. Daily levels of household food insecurity were positively associated with caregiver hunger, negative affect, and parent-child conflict and negatively associated with caregiver perceived effectiveness and attention and impulse regulation.These findings suggest that household food insecurity may be indirectly associated with adverse outcomes for child mental health through household chaos and caregiver stress.

Corresponding Author: Merelise R. Ametti, PhD, MPH, Center for Clinical and Translational Science, MaineHealth Institute for Research, 81 Research Dr, Scarborough, ME 04704 (merelise.ametti@mainehealth.org).

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