Objective To examine associations between food insecurity, excess body weight, psychosocial factors and food behaviors among low-income African-American (AA) families. Design Cross-sectional survey of participants in the baseline evaluation of the B’More Healthy Communities for Kids (BHCK) obesity prevention trial. We collected data on socioeconomic factors, food source destinations, acquiring food, preparation methods, psychosocial factors, beliefs and attitudes, participation in food assistance programs, anthropometry and food security. We used principal component analysis to identify patterns of food source destinations and logistic regression to examine associations. Setting Fourteen low-income, predominantly AA neighborhoods in Baltimore City. Subjects 298 adult caregiver-child (10–14 years old) dyads. Results 41.6% of households had some level of food insecurity, and 12.4% experienced some level of hunger. Food insecure participants with hunger were significantly more likely to be unemployed and to have lower incomes. We found high rates of excess body weight (overweight and obese) among adults and children (82.8% and 37.9% food insecure without hunger; 89.2% and 45.9% with hunger, respectively), although there were no significant differences by security status. Food source usage patterns, food acquisition, preparation, knowledge, self-efficacy and intentions did not differ by food security. Food security was associated with perceptions that healthy foods are affordable and convenient. Greater caregiver body satisfaction was associated with food insecurity and excess body weight. Conclusions In this setting, obesity and food insecurity are major problems. For many food insecure families, perceptions of healthy foods may serve as additional barriers to their purchase and consumption.

This study aimed to investigate the association of ultra-processed food consumption at 4 and 7 years of age with appetitive traits at 7 years, and body mass index (BMI) at 10 years of age. Participants were 1175 children of the population-based birth cohort Generation XXI, who provided food diaries and complete data on socio-demographic variables, anthropometric measures, and the Portuguese Children’s Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (P-CEBQ). Foods were grouped according to NOVA classification into: “unprocessed, minimally or moderately processed, and culinary preparations”; “processed”; “ultra-processed”. To assess tracking of groups’ consumption, Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient (r) and the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) were calculated. Generalized linear models were fitted to test main associations, mediators, and interactions among the variables. Ultra-processed consumption exhibited a fair level of stability between ages 4 and 7 (r=0.34; ICC=0.32; 95%CI: 0.25; 0.39), corresponding respectively to 27.3% (449.8 kcal per day; SD=217.2) and 29.3% (526.9 kcal per day; SD=229.7) of total energy intake. After adjusting for maternal and child characteristics, higher ultra-processed consumption at 4 years was associated directly with ‘Food Responsiveness’ (β̂ = 0.019; 95%CI: 0.007; 0.037), and indirectly through energy intake with avoidant traits: ‘Food Fussiness’ (β̂ = -0.007; 95% CI: 0.002; 0.012) and ‘Satiety Responsiveness’ (β̂ = -0.007; 95% CI: 0.003; 0.012). Ultra-processed consumption at 4 years old was associated with BMI at 10 years old, but appetitive behaviours were not powerful mediators of this association. The results suggest a path by which ultra-processed products may impact on later appetitive traits and higher BMI in children.

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The results showed undesired nutritional and metabolic conditions among patients on HAART associated with CD. It is necessary to manage health intervention programs for PLHA in order to control cardiovascular risk factors before final outcomes.