Food insecurity is associated with higher saturated fat intake and dyslipidemia in Wisconsin adults

We investigated whether food insecurity, lack of consistent access to adequate food, was associated with higher saturated fat intake and dyslipidemia, in a population-based sample of 1355 adults from the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (2008-2010). The Blocked Dietary Data System survey was used to assess dietary intake. We used multiple logistic and linear regression models to estimate the associations, while controlling for age, gender, race and ethnicity, education, income, smoking, alcohol use, body mass index, and physical activity. Food insecurity, measured by responding yes to any of five food security questions adapted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, had a prevalence of 25.4% in our study. Compared to food-secure participants, food-insecure participants were more likely to have hypercholesterolemia (total blood cholesterol level>240mg/dl or taking prescribed lipid-lowering medication): adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.7[95% confidence limit (CL) 1.0-2.9], p=0.03. Also, food-insecure participants were more likely to have low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level (<40mg/dl in men and <50 mg/dl in women): AOR 2.1 [95% CL 1.0-4.4], p=0.05. Among participants with hypercholesterolemia, food-insecure participants had higher saturated fat intake than food-secure participants only among those who are unaware of their condition (mean difference = 10.9g [95% CL 10.3-11.5g], p<0.01). Our findings suggest that food insecurity is associated with higher saturated fat intake and may increase the risk of dyslipidemia. Policy changes to support reductions in food insecurity may help to reduce health disparities in cardiovascular disease outcomes.