Food Insecurity and Children's Health
When individuals report cases of food insecurity, they endure serious pressures related to the inability to find enough food for their families or themselves. According to USDA a person with limited resources or enough money in accessing sufficient nutritious food qualifies as food insecure (Hunger Health, 2010). Research pinpoints that food insecurity is a serious nutrition and health issue in certain American households and children are equally affected. Findings indicate that this problem is high among children lacking affordable housing, parents with low wages, socially isolated households, and expensive health problems. Such a concern may have significant health on children's health both directly and indirectly if the circumstances remain the same in the long-term. The paper will discuss some of the health problems associated with food insecurity among children in the United States considering the limited potential to feed healthy among such groups.
Food security remains a serious social problem in the United States and ending this issue is vital for several reasons. Findings on this issue have been associated with the consequences it has on children as a way to validate the seriousness of the problem. For instance, researchers associate food insecurity with negative health upshots for children such as poor general health and increased cases of poor mental health. According to Gundersen and Ziliak (2015), food security possibly triggers high cases of birth defects and cases of reduced nutrient intakes among children. It can also lead to anxiety and aggression and other cognitive issues. Thus, children that suffer from food insecurity are likely to report more cases of emergency services due to the effect on their chronic and acute health (Gundersen & Ziliak, 2015). Reduce food security influence low food intake amount or poor quality eating patterns that cause poor weight as well as immune system functionality.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The stress that emerges as a result of food insecurity among children and their family might be connected with mental health concerns for instance depression. The health concern may have an indirect effect on the physical health of the affected children such as poor immune functionality. Thus, they are likely to report high hospitalization cases, asthma, poorer oral health, social problems, and suicide ideation (Gundersen & Ziliak, 2015). Studies conducted on the issue indicate that the limited supply of food outlets, especially in inner-city environments plays a significant role in the limited access to healthy food among this population. As a result, high poverty rates in particular areas in America contribute to cases of food insecurity that end up affecting the health of children growing in such environments (McKinney, 2015). Hence, findings from Gundersen and Ziliak (2015), further suggest that children born in households with food insecurity issues have a higher chance of developing anemia, asthma, and having poor general health. It is thus, evident that children that grow in an area or households with food security issues are vulnerable to mental health problems that might later influence behavior problems.
Also, findings outline that children from food insecurity households are likely to encounter issues related to forgone or delayed healthcare services as opposed to if they were food secure. It is for this reason that these children reflect internalized habits such as anxiety and depression as opposed to children from food secure families. The problem is attributed to increased poverty levels that limit access to nutritious food among this population and the civic structure in areas they live (Morton et al, 2005). The mental and physical challenges associated with food insecurity can affect individuals of any age; however, children are severely impacted on the same. Kids that have not been properly cared for in their early years of development might suffer from health challenges such as poor growth, vulnerable to infection, and poorly developed brains (Gundersen & Ziliak, 2015). These outcomes among children may be associated with the lack of sufficient nutrition during growth and the stage at which children start to demonstrate an association between need and nutrition.
Children and families suffering from food insecurity do not suffer from issues concerning total nonexistence of food but rather have worries regarding where the next meal will come from. It is for this reason that children are denied a chance to feed well since their parents cannot afford anything better than poor meals for survival ( McMillan , 2014). Research indicates that most of these individuals lack the right knowledge and dedication to eating healthy even in working households.
To sum up, insecurity is a common issue in the United States and Children are among the commonly affected group. They are likely to report cases of forgone or delayed health services and several long-term health concerns as outlined above. Findings reflect that such children demonstrate a greater risk of health issues such as asthma, social behaviors, and high levels of depression as opposed to kids in secured food families. For kids who fight food insecurity and are already in poverty, being faced with more challenges to conquer can shape their future negatively in health and education. The study covers why food insecurity is a serious issue that requires intervention from concerned bodies to support the affected population.
References
Gundersen, C., & Ziliak, J. P. (2015). Food insecurity and health outcomes. Health Affairs , 34 (11), 1830-1839. Retrieved from https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0645
Hunger health, (2010). Understand Food Insecurity. Retrieved from https://hungerandhealth.feedingamerica.org/understand-food-insecurity/
Kato, Y., & McKinney, L. (2015). Bringing food desert residents to an alternative food market: a semi-experimental study of impediments to food access. Agriculture and Human Values , 32 (2), 215-227. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.umkc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=860a366c-a9f7-4833-be7d-15830b5b85d6%40pdc-v-sessmgr03
McMillan, T. (2014). The new face of hunger. National Geographic , 226 (2), 66-89. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.umkc.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=30c68935-f2c3-496b-89fb-04f7ff746e3f%40sessionmgr101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=f5h&AN=97118347
Morton, L. W., Bitto, E. A., Oakland, M. J., & Sand, M. (2005). Solving the problems of Iowa food deserts: Food insecurity and civic structure. Rural Sociology , 70 (1), 94-112. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.umkc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=62ea2c65-d411-4c58-8b9c-6724456f25f1%40sessionmgr103
