Search

ObjectiveTo determine whether food insecurity, limited or uncertain food access owing to cost, is associated with greater health care expenditures.Data source/study settingNationally representative sample of the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States (2011 National Health Interview Survey [NHIS] linked to 2012-2013 Medication Expenditure Panel Survey [MEPS]).Study designLongitudinal retrospective cohort.Data collection/extraction methodsA total of 16,663 individuals underwent assessment of food insecurity, using the 10-item adult 30-day food security module, in the 2011 NHIS. Their total health care expenditures in 2012 and 2013 were recorded in MEPS. Expenditure data were analyzed using zero-inflated negative binomial regression and adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, income, insurance, and residence area.Principal findingsFourteen percent of individuals reported food insecurity, representing 41,616,255 Americans. Mean annualized total expenditures were $4,113 (standard error $115); 9.2 percent of all individuals had no health care expenditures. In multivariable analyses, those with food insecurity had significantly greater estimated mean annualized health care expenditures ($6,072 vs. $4,208, p

Objective: To improve food insecurity interventions, we sought to better understand the hypothesized bidirectional relationship between food insecurity and health care expenditures.Data Source: Nationally representative sample of the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States (2016-2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey [MEPS]).Study Design: In a retrospective longitudinal cohort, we conducted two sets of analyses: (a) two-part models to examine the association between food insecurity in 2016 and health care expenditures in 2017; and (b) logistic regression models to examine the association between health care expenditures in 2016 and food insecurity in 2017. We adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic variables as well as 2016 health care expenditures and food insecurity.Data Collection: Health care expenditures, food insecurity, and medical condition data from 10 886 adults who were included in 2016-2017 MEPS.Principal Findings: Food insecurity in 2016, compared with being food secure, was associated with both a higher odds of having any health care expenditures in 2017 (OR 1.29, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.60) and greater total expenditures ($1738.88 greater, 95% CI: $354.10 to $3123.57), which represents approximately 25% greater expenditures. Greater 2016 health care expenditures were associated with slightly higher odds of being food insecure in 2017 (OR 1.007 per $1000 in expenditures, 95% CI: 1.002 to 1.012, P =0.01). Exploratory analyses suggested that poor health status may underlie the relationship between food insecurity and health care expenditures.Conclusions: A bidirectional relationship exists between food insecurity and health care expenditures, but the strength of either direction appears unequal. Higher health care expenditures are associated with a slightly greater risk of being food insecure (adjusted for baseline food insecurity status) but being food insecure is associated with substantially greater subsequent health care expenditures (adjusted for baseline health care expenditures). Interventions to address food insecurity and poor health may be helpful to break this cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]