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Food insecurity and adult weight abnormality risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis

European Journal of Nutrition volume 58, pages 45–61 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

Research into the relationship between food insecurity and weight abnormality has yielded varied and contradictory results. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out to examine the association between food insecurity and weight abnormality in adults.

Methods

Pertinent studies were identified by searching PubMed and Scopus databases, up to February 2018. Data were available from 31 studies. These studies were conducted in 14 different countries. The odds ratio of 115,993 individuals in these studies was pooled for the meta-analysis.

Results

The present meta-analysis showed that adults in food-insecure households are more at risk of obesity (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06–1.23). Subgroup analysis by gender also revealed that women had a higher risk of obesity compared to men in food-insecure households (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.05–1.46). Furthermore, subgroup analysis by food insecurity level implied that a severe level of household food insecurity may be associated with a higher risk of underweight (49%) than overweight (37%) or obesity (29%) among adults. In addition, subgroup analysis revealed that with lower levels of national economic development, the risk of weight abnormality shifted from obesity to underweight.

Conclusion

It seems that adults in food-insecure households, especially women, are at higher risk of obesity. The weight abnormality risk may increase with the intensification of the level of food insecurity. Also, the level of economic development is an important factor in the effects of food insecurity on weight status. However, due to the high heterogeneity among studies, the results should be interpreted with caution.

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Abbreviations

BAFIA:

Bureau of Aliens and Foreign Immigrant Affairs

BVSHA:

Brazos Valley Health Status Assessment

CDC:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CSFII:

Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals

DHS:

Demographic and Health Survey

FSS:

Food Security Scale

HFSSM:

Household Food Security Survey Module

HFIAS:

Household Food Insecurity Access Scale

MSFW:

Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker

NDHS:

Nepal Demographic and Health Survey

NHIS:

National Health Interview Survey

U.S. FSS:

U.S. Food Security Survey

WHO:

World Health Organization

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Food Security Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Sajjad Moradi

  2. Halal Research Center of IRI, FDA, Tehran, Iran

    Sajjad Moradi & Behrooz Jannat

  3. Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), P.O. Box: 14155-6117, Tehran, Iran

    Atieh Mirzababaei & Khadijeh Mirzaei

  4. Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran

    Alireza Dadfarma

  5. Department of Cellular and Molecular Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran

    Shahabeddin Rezaei

  6. Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Students Research Committee, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Hamed Mohammadi

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  1. Sajjad Moradi
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Contributions

SM and KhM designed the research; SM, AD, AM and SH-R conducted the research; SM and HM performed statistical analysis; SM, KhM and AM wrote the paper; SM, HM and BJ contributed to the revision of the manuscript, KhM had primary responsibility for final content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Khadijeh Mirzaei.

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Moradi, S., Mirzababaei, A., Dadfarma, A. et al. Food insecurity and adult weight abnormality risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Nutr 58, 45–61 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-018-1819-6

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Keywords

  • Food insecurity
  • Adult weight status
  • Obesity
  • Overweight
  • Underweight