Association of household food insecurity with overweight and obesity in children and adolescent with disabilities.
Kids with disabilities who live in food-insecure homes are over six times more likely to be obese—screen for hunger at intake.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team asked one clear question: does running out of food at home raise obesity risk in kids with disabilities?
They weighed and measured 106 children and teens who received special-education or clinic services in Turkey.
Parents also answered a six-item food-security form that flags mild, moderate, or severe food hardship.
What they found
Moderate-to-severe food insecurity more than sextupled the odds of both general and belly obesity.
The link stayed strong even after the statisticians adjusted for age, sex, mom’s weight, and money level.
How this fits with other research
Ferreri et al. (2011) and Smith et al. (2014) already showed kids and adults with intellectual disability carry extra pounds; Mert adds the new lens of empty cupboards.
McQuaid et al. (2024) looks like a contradiction: their middle-aged Down-syndrome group stayed metabolically healthy despite obesity. The gap is real but logical—A et al. studied adults, not food access, and Down syndrome may blunt metabolic risk.
Li et al. (2016) tied maternal obesity to autism risk; Mert flips the timeline, showing that after birth, food scarcity can still shape body size in the same population.
Why it matters
You already track BMI in clinic notes. Add two food-security questions at intake: “In the last 12 months did food run out?” and “Could you afford balanced meals?” If parents say yes, weave pantry referrals, SNAP apps, or simple snack swaps into the behavior plan. Treat food access as a setting event—when the fridge is empty, obesity risk jumps and your diet goals stall.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Household food insecurity is associated with an increased risk of obesity in children and adolescents. Households that include children and adolescents with disabilities may be more vulnerable to food insecurity. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between household food insecurity and general and abdominal obesity in children and adolescents with disabilities. In this cross-sectional study, data was collected through face-to-face interviews from 106 parents and children/adolescents. To collect the data, the Descriptive Information Form and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale were used. Body weight, height and waist circumference (WC) of children/adolescents were measured by the researchers. Body Mass Index Z score (BMIz), WC Z score (WCz) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were calculated. The significance level of statistical tests was accepted as p < 0.05. Approximately 37.0 % of households were at risk of food insecurity. According to BMIz, approximately 19.0 % of the children and adolescents were overweight and 29.0 % were obese. Children and adolescents with WCz> +1 SD and WHtR≥ 0.5 were 46.2 % and 50.0 %, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, moderate and severe food insecurity was associated with higher odds of overweight and obesity according to the BMIz (AOR: 6.48, 95 % CI: 1.76;23.90, p:0.005), and WCz (AOR: 9.41, 95 % CI: 2.24;39.47, p:0.002). It was also associated with higher rates of abdominal obesity according to the WHtR (AOR: 7.12, 95 % CI: 1.74;29.20, p:0.006). Moderate/severe household food insecurity was found to be significantly associated with increased odds of general and abdominal obesity in children and adolescents with disabilities.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2026 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2025.105199