Adolescent food insecurity: A review of contextual and behavioral factors

Objective The purpose of this review is to examine recent research on contextual and behavioral factors that will lead to better understanding of adolescent food insecurity and health outcomes. Design A literature search for peer-reviewed, English language, research articles published between 2009 and 2019, using CINAHL, Embase (R), Pubmed, and the Cochrane Library. Sample The final sample represents thirty studies on food insecurity with a sample including adolescents, and that employ a measure of food insecurity. Results Variables of interest and results on topics such as weight-related factors, maternal parenting and behaviors, mental health, and adolescent-level behavioral factors are summarized. Conclusion Food insecurity is associated with poor adolescent health and mental health. All adolescents should be screened for food insecurity, involving pediatric and mental health care settings. Future research on adolescent food insecurity should explore parent and parenting factors, household composition and family dynamics, psychological factors, health behaviors, and stress; peer influences might also be an important area of research with adolescents. While previous research has relied on parents' reports, adolescents'experiences are unique, and they are willing and reliable research participants; they should be included in future food insecurity research.