High food insecurity and its correlates among families living on a rural American Indian Reservation.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to better understand the prevalence and consequences of food insecurity among American Indian families with young children. METHODS: Parents or caregivers of kindergarten-age children enrolled in the Bright Start study (dyad n=432) living on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota completed a questionnaire on their child's dietary intake, the home food environment, and food security. We assessed food security with a standard 6-item scale and examined associations of food insecurity with family sociodemographic characteristics, parents' and children's weight, children's dietary patterns, and the home food environment. RESULTS: Almost 40% of families reported experiencing food insecurity. Children from food-insecure households were more likely to eat some less healthful types of foods, including items purchased at convenience stores (P= .002), and food-insecure parents reported experiencing many barriers to accessing healthful food. Food security status was not associated with differences in home food availability or children's or parents' weight status. CONCLUSIONS: Food insecurity is prevalent among families living on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Increasing reservation access to food that is high quality, reasonably priced, and healthful should be a public health goal.

Duke Scholars

Author Mary T Story Family Medicine and Community Health