Dataset Information

The association between household food insecurity and healthcare costs among Canadian children.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To examine the relationship between household food insecurity and healthcare costs in children living in Ontario, Canada.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional, population-based study using four cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey (2007-2008, 2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2013-2014) linked with administrative health databases (ICES). We included Ontario children aged 1-17 years with a measure of household food insecurity (Household Food Security Survey Module) over the previous 12 months. Our primary outcome was the direct public-payer healthcare costs per child over the same time period (in Canadian dollars, standardized to year 2020). We used gamma-log-transformed generalized estimating equations accounting for the clustering of children to examine this relationship, and adjusted models for important sociodemographic covariates. As a secondary outcome, we examined healthcare usage of specific services and associated costs (e.g. visits to hospitals, surgeries).

Results

We found that adjusted healthcare costs were higher in children from food-insecure than from food-secure households ($676.79 [95% CI: $535.26, $855.74] vs. $563.98 [$457.00, $695.99], p = 0.047). Compared with children living in food-secure households, those in insecure households more often accessed hospitals, emergency departments, day surgeries, and home care, and used prescription medications. Children from food-secure households had higher usage of non-physician healthcare (e.g. optometry) and family physician rostering services.

Conclusion

Even after adjusting for measurable social determinants of health, household food insecurity was associated with higher public-payer health services costs and utilization among children and youth. Efforts to mitigate food insecurity could lessen child healthcare needs, as well as associated costs to our healthcare systems.

SUBMITTER: Clemens KK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10868558 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

The association between household food insecurity and healthcare costs among Canadian children.

Clemens Kristin K KK Le Britney B Anderson Kelly K KK Comeau Jinette J Tarasuk Valerie V Shariff Salimah Z SZ

Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique 20230823 1

<h4>Objective</h4>To examine the relationship between household food insecurity and healthcare costs in children living in Ontario, Canada.<h4>Methods</h4>We conducted a cross-sectional, population-based study using four cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey (2007-2008, 2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2013-2014) linked with administrative health databases (ICES). We included Ontario children aged 1-17 years with a measure of household food insecurity (Household Food Security Survey Module) over t ...[more]

PMID: 37610612

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Project description:BackgroundHousehold food insecurity, a measure of income-related problems of food access, is growing in Canada and is tightly linked to poorer health status. We examined the association between household food insecurity status and annual health care costs.MethodsWe obtained data for 67 033 people aged 18-64 years in Ontario who participated in the Canadian Community Health Survey in 2005, 2007/08 or 2009/10 to assess their household food insecurity status in the 12 months before the survey interview. We linked these data with administrative health care data to determine individuals' direct health care costs during the same 12-month period.ResultsTotal health care costs and mean costs for inpatient hospital care, emergency department visits, physician services, same-day surgeries, home care services and prescription drugs covered by the Ontario Drug Benefit Program rose systematically with increasing severity of household food insecurity. Compared with total annual health care costs in food-secure households, adjusted annual costs were 16% ($235) higher in households with marginal food insecurity (95% confidence interval [CI] 10%-23% [$141-$334]), 32% ($455) higher in households with moderate food insecurity (95% CI 25%-39% [$361-$553]) and 76% ($1092) higher in households with severe food insecurity (95% CI 65%-88% [$934-$1260]). When costs of prescription drugs covered by the Ontario Drug Benefit Program were included, the adjusted annual costs were 23% higher in households with marginal food insecurity (95% CI 16%-31%), 49% higher in those with moderate food insecurity (95% CI 41%-57%) and 121% higher in those with severe food insecurity (95% CI 107%-136%).InterpretationHousehold food insecurity was a robust predictor of health care utilization and costs incurred by working-age adults, independent of other social determinants of health. Policy interventions at the provincial or federal level designed to reduce household food insecurity could offset considerable public expenditures in health care.

Project description:Breastfeeding offers ideal food and nutrition for infants; however, structural barriers may amplify breastfeeding inequities. We aimed to identify whether household food insecurity (HFI) is associated with exclusive and continued breastfeeding (EBF and CBF) as recommended by the World Health Organization/United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis, literature searches using 'breastfeeding', 'food insecurity' and 'infant' terms were conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Global Health and LILACS from inception through November 2023, without language restrictions, yielding 1382 publications (PROSPERO:CRD42022329836). Predetermined eligibility criteria yielded the 12 included studies (nine cross-sectional and three cohorts). The risk of bias was assessed through the Effective Public Health Practice Project. Meta-analysis was performed for studies assessing EBF (n = 10), and metaregression was used to explore heterogeneity across studies. Prevalence of EBF ranged from 1.6% to 85.3%, with a lower prevalence among HFI. The pooled effect of the association between HFI and EBF presented an odds ratio (OR) of 0.61 (95% CI = 0.49-0.76) with consistent results across marginal (OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.55-0.94), moderate (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.41-0.84) and severe HFI (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.32-0.76). High heterogeneity was found only when HFI was dichotomized. The prevalence of CBF ranged from 35.4% to 78.0%, with inconsistent prevalence among HFI; a meta-analysis was not performed due to the low number of studies (n = 3). We concluded that HFI levels are associated with lower odds of EBF. Integrating service and policy-level strategies, such as screening, referrals, skilled breastfeeding counseling and access to comprehensive nutrition and social programs, could reduce structural inequities and promote adherence to the World Health Organization/UNICEF breastfeeding recommendations among food-insecure families.

Project description:BackgroundThe objective was to estimate the prevalence of household food insecurity (HFI) depending on sociodemographic factors and its association with lifestyle habits and childhood overweight and obesity.MethodsData was collected from 1,938 children aged 2 to 14 years who participated in the "Study about Malnutrition" of the Community of Madrid. Weight and height were obtained through physical examination. Body mass index was calculated as weight/height2 (kg/m2) and the criteria of the WHO were used for determining conditions of overweight and obesity. The participants' parents answered a structured questionnaire about their diet, lifestyle (physical activity and screen time), and food insecurity. The diet quality was assessed with the Healthy Eating Index in Spain and food insecurity, defined as the lack of consistent access to sufficient food for a healthy life, was measured via three screening questions and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Odds Ratios (ORs) and Relative Risk Ratios (RRRs) were estimated using logistic regression models and adjusted for confounding variables.ResultsThe overall prevalence of HFI was 7.7% (95% CI: 6.6‒9.0), with lower values in children 2 to 4 years old (5.7%, 95% CI: 4.0‒8.1) and significantly higher values in households with low family purchasing power [37.3%; OR: 8.99 (95% CI: 5.5‒14.6)]. A higher prevalence of overweight (33.1%) and obesity (28.4%) was observed in children from families with HFI, who presented a lower quality diet and longer screen time compared to those from food-secure households (21.0% and 11.5%, respectively). The RRR of children in families with HFI relative to those from food-secure households was 2.41 (95% CI: 1.5‒4.0) for overweight and 1.99 (95% CI: 1.2‒3.4) for obesity.ConclusionThe prevalence of HFI was high in the paediatric population, especially in households with low family purchasing power. HFI was associated with lower diet quality and higher prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity. Our results suggest the need for paediatric services to detect at-risk households at an early stage to avoid this dual burden of child malnutrition.

Dataset Information

The association between household food insecurity and healthcare costs among Canadian children.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

The association between household food insecurity and healthcare costs among Canadian children.

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