Scientists from Washington State University found that young adults who were at risk of food insecurity had an increased incidence of diabetes 10 years later.
This study showed a connection over time, suggesting a causal relationship.
The research is published in the Journal of Nutrition and was conducted by Cassandra Nguyen et al.
In the study, researchers analyzed data on nearly 4,000 people from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health.
They found that adults ages 24-32 who said they’d been worried about food running out in the last year showed a greater incidence of diabetes, either through blood glucose tests or self-reports, at ages 32-42, compared to those who did not report food insecurity risk.
While the study could not identify the exact reason for this connection, previous research has shown that food-insecure households often have diets with lower nutritional values.
The team says eating according to the dietary guidelines tends to cost more money, and it may cost more time.
It’s not always accessible to households that have limitations such as transportation to sources of lower-cost, nutritionally dense food.
The team added that people experiencing food insecurity can also get caught in a negative reinforcing cycle:
When food insecurity is associated with a diet that contributes to disease risk, which then creates additional health care expenses, stressing a household’s economic resources and deepening food insecurity.
For future work, the research team plans to investigate food insecurity risk and health issues within American Indian and Alaska Native populations.
These communities are often left out of annual reports on food insecurity, which means they may be overlooked when reforms are made to food assistance programs and policies.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about food that could help lower risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and scientists find key to treating type 2 diabetes.
For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies about chemicals in living room that could cause diabetes, and results showing new drug combo for type 2 diabetes remains effective after 2 years.
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