#43 Food insecurity, health status and health risk behaviors: California, 2000

PURPOSE: This study characterizes food insecure California women and examines their health status outcomes and risk behaviors. METHODS: The study uses data from the 2000 California Womenʹs Health Survey (CWHS), an annual telephone survey of women ages 18 and older. The six-question USDA food security scale was used to assess the food security of the 4,012 respondents. RESULTS: Among all California women, 22.4% were food insecure (14.7% food insecure without hunger and 7.7% food insecure with hunger); 47.8% of Hispanic women were food insecure. Characteristics positively associated with being food insecure included being young (18–34 years), Hispanic, born outside the U.S., unmarried, low annual household income, unemployed, less educated, having children <6 years of age in the home and having no health insurance. Food insecure women were more likely than others to report poor general health and reported more days of poor mental health and restricted activity. They were also more likely to be current smokers (OR = 1.53;C.I.:1.27,1.84), binge drinkers (OR = 1.31;C.I.:1.03,1.67) or characterized by non-normal weight (OR = 1.83; C.I.:1.56,2.13). They were less likely to have ever had a mammogram (OR = 0.49;C.I.:0.35,0.69). CONCLUSION: Food insecurity is prevalent in California women, particularly among Hispanic women. It is associated with poor general and mental health status and increased likelihood of engaging in behaviors associated with increased risks of disease.