(P20-076-24) Nutrition Security and Related Measures Mediate Association Between Food Security and Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among Low-Income Households

Objectives: To separately examine the role of nutrition security, healthfulness choice, and dietary choice as both a mediator and/or moderator of the association between food security and daily fruit and vegetable intake among a sample of low-income households.

Methods: The study used cross-sectional data collected by the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition based on three new measures not currently assessed by the USDA: perceived lack of external constraints to access healthful foods (nutrition security), perceived ability to acquire healthful foods (healthfulness choice) and degree of perceived control over diet to meet preferences and nutritional needs (dietary choice) from low-income and/or food insecure households (n=486). Associations between sociodemographic characteristics and the three measures were assessed using ANOVA. Mediation effects were examined separately using stepwise regression analysis by Baron and Kelly (1986). Moderating effects of each measure were determined by including interaction terms in the adjusted regression models.

Results: Age was associated with all three measures: nutrition security (p < 0.01), healthfulness choice (p=0.02), dietary choice (p=0.005). Healthfulness choice was higher in households with at least 1 child (vs. not) (p=0.03) and also varied by education level (p < 0.0001). The significant association between food security and daily fruit and vegetable intake was partially mediated by all three measures, separately: nutrition security (p < 0.001), healthfulness choice (p < 0.001), and dietary choice (p < 0.001). Nutrition security accounted for almost 30% of the variance as a mediator of the association between food security and daily fruit and vegetable intake (β=0.29, p=0.01), even after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. None of the measures of interest were found to be moderators of the association between food security and fruit and vegetable intake.

Conclusions: Nutrition security, perceived ability, and perceived control to choose foods for health and well-being partially explain the association between food security and daily fruit and vegetable intake among low-income households. These measures or similar constructs should be considered when addressing the association between diet quality and food security.

Funding Sources: N/A