Household food insufficiency and flourishing in a nationally representative sample of young children in the U.S

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined the association between household food insufficiency and flourishing among young children (6 months-5 years) in the U.S. and assessed whether sleep adequacy modifies this association.

Methods: We used data from the 2018-2020 National Surveys of Children's Health. Adjusted prevalence differences and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between household food insufficiency and flourishing were modeled using average marginal predictions from logistic regression models. Sleep adequacy was assessed as an effect measure modifier on the additive scale.

Results: Evidence supports additive scale effect measure modification of the food insufficiency-flourishing association by sleep adequacy (Likelihood Ratio Test statistic = 12.4, degrees of freedom = 2, P < .05). Adjusted for potential confounders, the prevalence of flourishing was 13.2 percentage points lower (95% CI: -22.6, -3.7) for children in households with insufficient food and inadequate sleep compared to those with sufficient food and adequate sleep.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that having enough food and enough sleep are associated with greater wellbeing. These modifiable factors should be targeted by public health interventions to facilitate flourishing among young children in the U.S.

Keywords: Child health; Food insecurity; Health promotion; Sleep.