Recent advances provide improved tools for measuring children's food security

Area of Science:

• Child Nutrition and Health
• Food Security Measurement
• Public Health Surveys

Background:

• Consistent access to adequate food is vital for children's health and development.
• The initial U.S. assessment of child food security used the U.S. Household Food Security Scale (1995).
• This scale comprised 18 survey questions developed by the USDA and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent developments enhancing the measurement of children's food security.
• To assess improvements in measurement accuracy and scope.
• To examine the relationship between child and adult food security within households.

Main Methods:

• Development and validation of the Children's Food Security Scale (8 child-referenced questions).
• Testing of severe food insecurity questions (adult proxy) in a national health survey.
• Validation of a self-administered food security module for children aged 12 and older.

Main Results:

• The Children's Food Security Scale demonstrated excellent internal validity.
• Questions on severe food insecurity showed acceptable internal validity.
• Separate measures for child and adult food security provide a better assessment than a combined measure.

Conclusions:

• Recent measurement tools improve the assessment of children's food security.
• Child and adult food security are correlated, but distinct measures are recommended.
• Further research is needed on the links between food security, diet quality, and child development.