Abstract C041: US Latina immigrants: Is obesity the face of food insecurity?
Authors: Amador Maria A. , Garza Mary A. , King-Marshall Evelyn , Boyle Meleah , Merlo Leyla , Feldman Robert , Quiros-Alcala Lesliam 
Published: August 2020

Obesity is a predictor of many chronic illnesses and certain obesity-related cancers. Latinos are a rapidly growing population in the US with high levels of food insecurity, and higher obesity rates. Food insecurity refers to a lack of access to nutritious and safe food. The “food insecurity-obesity” is a paradoxical relationship seen in rising obesity and correspondingly high food-insecurity rates. This paradox differentially affects individuals in the US based on gender, income, and race/ethnicity. Research to reduce these health disparities, particularly among Central American Latina adults, is sparse. To address this research gap, we examined demographic factors among Latina immigrants to understand this paradox.

Methods: This analysis is part of a larger study that aimed to assess the health needs, lifestyle behaviors, and other risk factors linked to chronic diseases among Latino immigrants in Maryland. Food insecurity was measured using four validated measures (“hungry but no money for food”; “cannot afford to eat balanced meals”; “worried food would run out before having money to buy more”; “worried about money for food”) and body mass index (BMI) was calculated from measured height and weight. Participants were categorized as overweight (BMI 25-30 kg/m2) or obese (BMI &gt;30 kg/m2). Chi-square tests were used to assess bivariate associations between selected characteristics, food insecurity and BMI, and post-HOC tests conducted (Bonferroni correction).

Results: Participants (N=123) were mostly female (87%), obese (67%), and Central American natives (78%) and average age of 51 years. About a third reported being hungry but not having money for food (29%), 50% reported not being able to afford to eat balanced meals, 52% worried about having enough money for food, and 53% worried food would run out before having money to buy more. We observed varied demographic differences: less than a HS diploma was associated with “hungry but no money for food” (p=0.02); those who reported “cannot afford to eat balanced meals” were more likely to have high school diploma (p=0.02), have lived less time in US (p=0.01), were of lower income (p=0.03) and were single (p=0.05); and “worried food would run out before having money to buy more” was associated with time lived in the US. Analysis regarding BMI and food-insecurity items showed participants who reported “worried about money for food” were more likely to be obese (p=0.04).

Conclusion: In this cohort of Latina immigrants, there are multiple demographic factors, such as education level, time lived in the US, income, and marital status that were associated with higher food insecurity and BMI. Further analysis will be conducted using a dietary screening tool called PrimeScreen. This tool is used to identify major food group consumption and compliance with USDA MyPlate recommendations. A better understanding of the “food insecurity-obesity” paradox and related factors will inform future culturally tailored interventions to address obesity among Latina immigrants.

Citation Format: Maria A. Amador, Mary A. Garza, Evelyn King-Marshall, Meleah Boyle, Leyla Merlo, Robert Feldman, Lesliam Quiros-Alcala. US Latina immigrants: Is obesity the face of food insecurity? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr C041.