Food insecurity is associated with violent behaviors among in-school adolescents

Violent behaviors among adolescents are a major public health concern. The association between food insecurity (FI) and violent behaviors among adolescents has not been adequately researched. This study assessed the pooled associations between FI and violent behaviors among in-school adolescents from 66 countries. This study involved cross-sectional data from the Global School-Based Student Health Surveys. We calculated the pooled prevalence rates of FI and violent behaviors (physical fight and physical attack). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate country-specific associations between FI and violent behaviors. Meta-analyses were performed to evaluate the pooled associations. A total of 234,216 adolescents aged 12-17 years were included in our study. The overall prevalence rates of moderate FI, severe FI, physical fight, and physical attack among adolescents were 40.2%, 7.1%, 18.9%, and 31.8%, respectively. After adjusting for covariates, exposure to moderate FI or severe FI among adolescents was significantly associated with physical fight, with pooled odds ratios (ORs) of 1.18 and 1.52, respectively; meanwhile, the ORs for physical attack were 1.49 and 1.88, respectively. The positive association between FI and violent behaviors was stronger in girls than in boys. FI and violent behaviors are a serious concern among in-school adolescents and are positively associated with each other. Interventions targeting food safety in schools may help to avoid violent behaviors among adolescents.