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Household Food Insecurity Is Associated with Symptoms of Emotional Dysregulation in Children with Attention Deficit

Irene E Hatsu1,2, Leanna Eiterman3, Madeline Stern3

  • 1Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.

Nutrients
|March 26, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Household food insecurity is linked to increased emotional symptoms and behavioral issues in children with ADHD. Addressing food insecurity may help manage symptoms in these youths.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Nutritional Psychiatry
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Household food insecurity is a growing concern impacting child development.
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and emotional dysregulation are significant challenges in childhood.
  • The interplay between food security and neurodevelopmental disorders requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between household food insecurity and ADHD symptoms.
  • To investigate the link between food insecurity and emotional dysregulation in children.
  • To determine if food insecurity is associated with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD).

Main Methods:

  • Utilized baseline data from 134 children aged 6-12 years in a clinical trial.
  • Assessed household food security using the US Household Food Security Survey Module.
  • Evaluated ADHD and emotional dysregulation symptoms using the Child and Adolescent Symptom Inventory-5 and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
  • Employed multiple linear regression to analyze associations, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

  • Household food insecurity was significantly associated with more severe emotional symptoms (β = 2.30, p = 0.002) and conduct problems (β = 1.15, p = 0.049).
  • A strong association was found between food insecurity and total difficulties scores (β = 4.59, p = 0.001).
  • Unadjusted analyses showed links to ODD and DMDD, which became non-significant after covariate adjustment.

Conclusions:

  • Household food insecurity is linked to heightened emotional dysregulation and behavioral issues in children.
  • Addressing food insecurity may be a crucial initial step in managing ADHD and emotional dysregulation symptoms.
  • This highlights the importance of socioeconomic factors in pediatric mental health.

Keywords:
attention deficit hyperactivity disorderchildrenemotional dysregulationfood security status

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