TABLE 2—
Food Security, Dietary Quality, and Weight Status Among US Low-Income Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003–2010
| Full Sample (n = 8333), No. or % | Full Food Security (n = 4645), No. or % | Food Insecurity (n = 3688), No. or % | Pa | |
| Dietary quality | ||||
| Healthy Eating Index 2010, total score | 45.4 | 46.6 | 43.7 | < .001 |
| Added sugar, teaspoons | 20.1 | 18.7 | 22.0 | < .001 |
| Solid fat, g | 399.5 | 398.1 | 401.5 | .768 |
| Empty calories, kcal | 754.6 | 731.5 | 787.9 | < .001 |
| Total calories, kcal | 2128.8 | 2103.0 | 2166.2 | .084 |
| Weight (BMI) | ||||
| Continuous | 28.8 | 28.5 | 29.2 | < .001 |
| Underweight (≤ 18.5 kg/m2) | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.4 | .607 |
| Overweight (≤ 25–< 30 kg/m2) | 31.6 | 32.6 | 30.2 | .178 |
| Obese (≥ 30 kg/m2) | 35.6 | 33.7 | 38.4 | < .001 |
Note. BMI = body mass index. Results take survey weights into account. Not full food security group includes people living in households with marginal food security, low food security and very low food security.
a
Difference between full food security and any category of food insecurity derived from Student t test.