Is Child Food Insecurity Underreported? Evidence from Daily, Monthly, and 9-month Measures

Caitlin T Hines ¹, Samantha Steimle ², Rebecca M Ryan ³

⁰The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.

Academic Pediatrics +

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October 30, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Parental reports of child food insecurity are less accurate over longer periods. Shorter recall periods, like daily or monthly, better capture the child

Area Of Science

Public Health
Nutrition Security
Child Welfare

Background

Food insecurity is a significant public health concern affecting families.
Standardized measures, often using 12-month recall, may not fully capture the nuances of food insecurity, especially for children.
Understanding reporting consistency across different timescales is crucial for accurate assessment.

Purpose Of The Study

To explore the consistency of parental reports of their own and their children's food insecurity across daily, monthly, and 9-month periods.
To provide preliminary insights into the alignment of food insecurity reports over shorter versus longer reference periods.

Main Methods

Utilized a subsample of 125 low-income parents with school-aged children.
Administered daily, monthly, and 9-month food insecurity questionnaires.
Employed significance tests and regression analyses to assess agreement and identify factors associated with underreporting.

Main Results

Food insecurity is generally underestimated when reported over longer timescales.
Parents reported less child food insecurity at monthly compared to daily intervals.
Household and parent food insecurity were reported more consistently across timescales than child food insecurity.

Conclusions

The standard 12-month food insecurity measure may have limitations, particularly for assessing child experiences.
Shorter recall intervals (e.g., daily, monthly) may provide more accurate insights into food insecurity.
Improving child food insecurity assessment is critical for informing national food assistance policy.

Keywords:

child food insecurity daily measurement food insecurity household food insecurity low-income measurement poverty