What does this research mean for the field?

Both food insecurity and nutrition insecurity significantly increase the odds of adolescent obesity, a relationship that is heavily modified and amplified by structural inequities such as poverty and race/ethnicity. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to understand how various individual, interpersonal, community, and societal factors contribute to adolescent obesity in the context of food insecurity.

April 8, 2026Open Access

Food Insecurity and Adolescent Obesity in the United States: A Social Ecological Analysis of Multi-Level Risk Factors and Structural Inequities

Key Points

This research aims to understand how various individual, interpersonal, community, and societal factors contribute to adolescent obesity in the context of food insecurity.
Analyzed cross-sectional data from 37,425 adolescents aged 12–17 years
Utilized the National Survey of Children’s Health (2022–2023)
Employed weighted multinomial logistic regression with interaction terms
Examined factors such as physical activity, household food security, and poverty level
Adolescents with adequate quantity but inadequate quality food had a 41% higher odds of obesity
Those with insufficient food quantity faced 48% higher odds of obesity
Poverty below 200% of federal poverty level amplified the relationship between food insecurity and obesity
Hispanic and Black adolescents had 49% and 78% higher odds of obesity, respectively
Physical activity provided protective effects that varied by food security status

Abstract

While the association between food insecurity and adolescent obesity is well-established, the mechanisms through which these co-occurring public health crises are linked remain inadequately understood. Using the Social Ecological Model as a theoretical framework, this study examines how individual (physical activity), interpersonal (household food security), community (poverty level, residence), and societal (race/ethnicity) factors interact to influence adolescent weight outcomes. Cross-sectional data from 37,425 adolescents aged 12–17 years in the 2022–2023 National Survey of Children’s Health using weighted multinomial logistic regression with interaction terms were used. Adolescents experiencing nutrition insecurity (adequate quantity but poor-quality food) had 41% higher odds of obesity (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.20–1.65), while those with food insecurity (insufficient quantity) had 48% higher odds (aOR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.08–2.02) compared to food-secure peers. Significant effect modification emerged across ecological levels: poverty below the 200% federal poverty level (FPL) significantly amplified the food insecurity–obesity relationship (interaction p < 0.001), Hispanic and Black adolescents demonstrated 49% and 78% higher obesity odds, respectively, independent of household food and nutrition security status, and physical activity showed protective effects that varied by food security context (interaction p = 0.003). These findings underscore the necessity of multi-level interventions addressing structural inequities alongside individual behaviors to combat adolescent obesity in food-insecure populations effectively.

Bookmark

View Full Paper

Cite This Study

Abasilim et al. (Fri,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69d5f07d74eaea4b11a79d97 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23040458

Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

Bookmark

View Full Paper