Food insecurity risk linked to diabetes later in life

After 10 years, young adults at risk of food insecurity have increased odds of developing diabetes, according to a Washington State University stu.

While previous research has linked food insecurity with a range of health problems, including diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure, this study shows a long-term link that suggests cause and effe.

In the study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers analyzed data from nearly 4,000 people in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Heal.

"When we looked at the data 10 years later, we did see differences in diabetes prevalence: Cassandra Nguyen, lead author of the study and assistant professor at Washington State University's Institute for Research and Education for the Advancement of Community Health (IREACH) (Cassandra Nguyen) said: "Those who experienced the risk of food insecurity at a young age were more likely to develop diabetes in middle a.

While this study can't pinpoint the exact cause of this link, previous research has shown that food-insecure households tend to eat diets with lower nutritional val.

"Eating according to dietary guidelines tends to cost more and may take more time," Nguyen sa.

Nguyen adds that people who experience food insecurity can also be caught in a negative reinforcement cycle: when food insecurity is associated with diets that contribute to disease risk, it creates additional medical costs, taxing household economic resources, and deepening food Not sa.

The study did not reveal differences between races or ethnicities, but the authors note that the number of minorities in the sample may be too small to show a patte.

In future work, the research team plans to investigate food insecurity risks and health issues in American Indian and Alaska Native populatio.

Interventions — such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and its education component, SNAP-ed, and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) — ​​have been shown to be effective in improving diets and health, Nguyen sa.

"It's really important to make sure that those who are facing food insecurity can be identified and that they have access to resources to break the cycle," she sa.

The research was carried out by an interdisciplinary team affiliated with IREACH: Nguyen (who published the research under her maiden name Nikolaus) and Luciana Herbert, both from Washington State University Elson.

This research was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases through a grant to the American Indian and Alaska Native Diabetes Translational Research Cent.