Table 1.
Characteristics of Lower-Income Adolescents (12–19 Years): NHANES 2003–2010
| Characteristics | Higher-income nonparticipants (n=1,773) |
Low-income nonparticipants (n=1,468) |
SNAP participants (n=1,209) |
p-valuea | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n/mean | %/SE | n/mean | %/SE | n/mean | %/SE | ||
| Adolescent characteristics | |||||||
| Age | 15.2 | 0.1 | 16.0 | 0.1 | 15.1 | 0.08 | <0.0001 |
| Female | 825 | 48.0 | 729 | 51.4 | 603 | 50.3 | 0.24 |
| Race/ethnicity | |||||||
| Non-Hispanic white | 468 | 60.3 | 321 | 48.2 | 208 | 38.2 | <0.0001 |
| Non-Hispanic black | 529 | 14.3 | 357 | 14.6 | 561 | 31.9 | |
| Hispanic | 688 | 18.9 | 728 | 30.3 | 389 | 23.8 | |
| Other or multi-racial | 88 | 6.5 | 62 | 7.0 | 51 | 6.2 | |
| Parental characteristics | |||||||
| Birthplace | <0.0001 | ||||||
| Born in the U.S. | 1,221 | 80.0 | 793 | 66.7 | 894 | 76.9 | |
| Born outside of the U.S. | 507 | 17.5 | 621 | 30.1 | 279 | 19.8 | |
| Educational attainment | <0.0001 | ||||||
| <12 years | 484 | 16.5 | 622 | 33.4 | 599 | 40.1 | |
| High school diploma/ equivalent |
450 | 27.7 | 354 | 25.7 | 335 | 33.5 | |
| Any college | 581 | 37.9 | 354 | 30.5 | 206 | 19.5 | |
| College graduate | 210 | 15.4 | 72 | 6.8 | 30 | 3.4 | |
| Missing | 48 | 2.6 | 66 | 3.6 | 39 | 3.4 | |
| Marital status | <0.0001 | ||||||
| Married/ living with partner |
1,130 | 67.1 | 728 | 49.1 | 428 | 40.5 | |
| Not partnered | 568 | 28.2 | 609 | 40.2 | 677 | 51.5 | |
| Missing | 75 | 2.2 | 131 | 3.1 | 104 | 1.8 | |
| Household characteristics | |||||||
| Income as ratio to FPL (mean) |
2.14 | 0.02 | 0.77 | 0.02 | 0.64 | 0.01 | <0.0001 |
| Income as ratio to FPL | - | ||||||
| 0–50% FPL | - | - | 379 | 26.9 | 445 | 33.2 | |
| 50.1–100% FPL | - | - | 626 | 37.9 | 598 | 52.7 | |
| 100.1–130% FPL | - | - | 463 | 35.2 | 166 | 14.1 | |
| 130.1–200% FPL | 876 | 42.9 | - | - | - | - | |
| 200.1–300% FPL | 897 | 57.1 | - | - | - | - | |
| Household size | 4.3 | 0.1 | 4.3 | 0.1 | 4.7 | 0.1 | 0.001 |
| WIC participation | - | ||||||
| WIC participant | 79 | 2.2 | 243 | 12.5 | 365 | 26.1 | |
| Income-eligible nonparticipant |
578 | 29.0 | 1057 | 75.2 | 816 | 71.2 | |
| Higher-income nonparticipant |
976 | 62.2 | 0 | - | 0 | - | |
| Missing | 140 | 6.6 | 168 | 12.3 | 28 | 2.7 | |
| Food security | <0.0001 | ||||||
| Food secure | 1,261 | 76.0 | 741 | 51.3 | 588 | 51.3 | |
| Marginally food secure | 120 | 5.6 | 118 | 7.1 | 190 | 14.6 | |
| Food insecure | 212 | 8.8 | 287 | 16.5 | 376 | 29.4 | |
| Missing | 180 | 9.5 | 322 | 25.1 | 55 | 4.7 | |
Notes: Boldface indicates statistical significance (p<0.05).
a
Differences between groups were tested using χ2 tests for categorical variables and univariate regression for continuous variables.
SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; FPL, federal poverty level; WIC, The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children