Food Insecurity and Health Outcomes of Children With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the United States

Abstract

Abstract We aimed to (a) provide nationally representative estimates of food insecurity (FI) among children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and (b) determine the association between FI and four health outcomes (overall health, problem behavior, activities of daily living, functional limitations) in 5,657 children with IDD compared to 1:1 propensity score matched children without IDD. Mixed-effects ordered logistic regression models were used. Children with IDD were more likely to experience FI than children without IDD (43.3% vs. 30.0%, p < 0.001). FI and IDD were independently associated with worse scores on all four health outcomes. Having both FI and IDD further exacerbated the adverse impacts on these health outcomes. The association was stronger among children with moderate-to-severe FI than those with mild FI.