Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Asthma Risk Higher in Young Adults with Food Insecurity

A study led by researchers at the University of San Francisco found that young adults who are food insecure are more likely to suffer from disorders associated with high body mass index and obstructive airway diseases, like asthma.

15,000 young adults were chosen to be analyzed in the study, and 1,647 of these adults were characterized as food insecure, or “lacking sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets individuals’ dietary needs and preferences for an active and healthy life.”

Among 14,786 participants, more than twice as many in the food-insecure group had revealed that they had been told by a medical provider that they had diabetes. The food-insecure group was also more likely to report that they had been told by a medical provider that they had high blood pressure.

Stress also plays a role in asthma and other obstructive airway diseases. Among the food-secure group, 14 percent were told that they had at least one of the obstructive airway conditions, compared with 21 percent of the food-insecure group.

Reference

Food insecurity in young adults raises risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma. University of California San Francisco newsroom. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2019/10/415541/food-insecurity-young-adults-raises-risk-diabetes-high-blood-pressure-asthma. Published October 1, 2019. Accessed October 3, 2019.