Prevalence of Food Insecurity Between Pediatric Critical Care and Hospital Ward Setting

Objective: We aim to evaluate the prevalence of food insecurity (FI) among pediatric patients admitted to the PICU, compare the prevalence between patients admitted to the PICU vs. hospital medicine (HM) floor, and determine associations between the presence of FI and clinical and demographic variables. Design, Setting, and Patients: A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients 0–18 years old admitted for at least 24 hours between January 1 and December 31, 2023 to a tertiary pediatric hospital PICU or HM floor. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: FI was measured using the Hunger Vital Sign tool. Self-identified demographic data were obtained and reported using descriptive statistics, and associations with FI were examined using chi-square testing and logistic regression. Of the 4457 identified patients, 2820 met inclusion criteria (621 in PICU, 2199 in HM). FI prevalence was higher in PICU patients compared with those admitted to the HM floor (9% PICU vs. 6.5% HM, p = 0.034; 95% CI, 0.504–0.962). Higher odds of FI were found in Black patients (aOR 2.40; 95% CI, 1.39–4.09, p = 0.001) and patients self-identifying as Hispanic (aOR 5.44; 95% CI, 2.94–9.81, p = < 0.001) as compared with White patients. Admission location, age, gender, and length of stay were not independently associated with FI. Conclusions: This is the first study reported comparing the prevalence of FI between PICU vs. HM floor patients, and the largest study to date on FI prevalence in the PICU. FI was more prevalent among patients admitted to the PICU than HM floor and predominantly noted in Black patients and patients self-identifying as Hispanic. These findings highlight the need for screening and intervention strategies to address FI within the ICU setting.