TABLE 1.
Characteristics of a representative population of U.S. adults and adolescents stratified by household food security status, NHANES 1999–2006a
| Full food security | Marginal food security | Low food security | Very low food security | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults, 21 or more years, n | 4892 | 450 | 536 | 260 |
| Mean (SE) or %b | ||||
| Age, yearsc | 47.6 (0.4) | 41.7 (0.9) | 40.3 (0.7) | 41.1 (1.1) |
| Male, %c | 50 | 43 | 48 | 49 |
| Race/ethnicity, %c | ||||
| Mexican American | 5 | 15 | 28 | 10 |
| Other Hispanic | 4 | 14 | 9 | 14 |
| Non-Hispanic white | 78 | 43 | 43 | 54 |
| Non-Hispanic black | 9 | 22 | 15 | 20 |
| Otherd | 4 | 6 | 5 | 2 |
| Educational attainment, %c | ||||
| Less than high school | 15 | 35 | 39 | 40 |
| High school diploma | 25 | 27 | 26 | 28 |
| Greater than high school | 59 | 37 | 35 | 31 |
| Current smoker, %c | 19 | 32 | 29 | 48 |
| Body mass index, kg/m sqc | 27.7 (0.1) | 29.4 (0.5) | 8.1 (0.3) | 28.3 (0.6) |
| Waist, cm | 95.9 (0.3) | 98.0 (1.2) | 95.4 (0.9) | 96.8 (1.7) |
| Triglycerides, mg/dL | 1.18 (1.1) | 126.0 (4.4) | 124.8 (3.2) | 129.0 (4.7) |
| Glucose, mg/dL | 99.6 (0.4) | 101.7 (1.7) | 99.0 (1.0) | 104.2 (1.8) |
| HDL, mg/dL | 87.5 (2.3) | 83.3 (4.0) | 85.9 (3.9) | 90.4 (4.9) |
| Systolic blood pressure, mg Hgc | 122.2 (0.4) | 123.6 (1.0) | 119.3 (0.9) | 121.3 (0.8) |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mg Hg | 72.4 (0.2) | 71.9 (0.6) | 71.9 (0.5) | 72.6 (0.6) |
| Adolescents 12–19 years, | 2099 | 275 | 486 | 266 |
| Age, years | 15.7 (0.1) | 15.4 (0.2) | 15.2 (0.2) | 15.3 (0.2) |
| % malec | 50 | 40 | 56 | 50 |
| Race/ethnicity, %c | ||||
| Mexican American | 8 | 20 | 24 | 16 |
| Other Hispanic | 4 | 10 | 10 | 17 |
| Non-Hispanic White | 68 | 35 | 36 | 46 |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 11 | 31 | 23 | 28 |
| Otherd | 8 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| Ever smoked, % | 41 | 41 | 49 | 47 |
| Body mass index, kg/m sqc | 22.9 (0.2) | 24.4 (0.6) | 23.2 (0.4) | 23.6 (0.5) |
| Waist, cm | 80.2 (0.5) | 82.8 (1.4) | 80.6 (1.0) | 81.9 (1.3) |
| Triglcyerides, mg/dL | 88.6 (1.5) | 94.5 (5.3) | 86.0 (3.9) | 90.3 (5.3) |
| Glucose, mg/dL | 91.4 (0.4) | 91.9 (0.7) | 92.9 (1.2) | 90.9 (0.7) |
| High-density lipoprotein, mg/dL | 76.8 (2.2) | 68.9 (2.7) | 73.9 (3.1) | 84.7 (3.9) |
| Systolic blood pressure, mg Hg | 109.4 (0.3) | 110.7 (0.7) | 109.2 (0.8) | 109.2 (0.8) |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mg Hg | 64.7 (0.3) | 63.3 (0.9) | 64.6 (0.7) | 63.4 (0.8) |
Values are mean (SE) or %.
NHANES = National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
a
NHANES mobile examination center weights and design corrections were applied.
b
Column totals may not add up to 100% because of rounding.
c
Indicates significant differences across household food security categories at the p < .05 level.
d
Other race includes multiple races.