Running head: LITERATURE REVIEW #1

Literature Review #1

Nickole Argentieri

Jeanette Montoya

3 October 2019

HSCI 608

Dr. Yen Ang

LITERATURE REVIEW 2

The background of this article represents a major public health issue among food

insecurity that negatively impacts youth health. Youth have greater odds of facing adversity due

to food insecurity. The two-item screen has never been tested for youth. The gap of the proposed

research is stated, “To our knowledge, validity of this two-item screen has not been tested among

adolescents and young adults” (Journal of Adolescent Health, 2015).

The research question of the article is to determine if the prevalence and severity of food

insecurity among youth is associated with the level of food insecurity and other health-related

social problems? The research of design is an observational cross-sectional study conducted by a

quantitative randomized Clinical trial. This study also involves secondary data due to a larger

study used by the online advocate to screen and gather data.

In the methodology of the data the dependent variable is food insecurity among youth.

The independent variable was a web based screening tool called the online advocate, and

Demographic data assessed by Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Instruments used were

logistic models that run for the four-category USDA-FSS classification and the two-item food

insecurity screen. The two-item screen results indicated out of 158 participants (39.5%) had

food insecurity. 88.5% Sensitivity and 84.1% specificity. 72.8% were identified as food insecure

on the USDA-FSS. 93.8% did not reach criteria. Food insecurity was associated with problems

with health care access (p < .001), education (p 1⁄4 .003), housing (p < .001), in- come insecurity

(p 1⁄4 .03), and substance use (p < .001) (Journal of Adolescent Health, 2015).

There were plenty of limitations in this study. The data was collected in one urban setting

with minority youth on public insurance. Data refers to only youth populations who have

medical care, what about those who do not? Lastly, there were plenty of bias questions, which

can affect answers and results.

LITERATURE REVIEW 3

The background of this article signifies food insecurity being negatively associated with

children’s dietary intake and health. SNAP-Ed aims to improve overall health. The gap of the

article proposes a need for more difficult evaluation and share constraints to randomization.

Concerns of withholding financial and food resources with the use of a randomized controlled

design are not present for SNAP-Ed compared with SNAP. Despite the absence of this barrier,

few studies assessing the effect of SNAP-Ed food security.

The research question is evaluating the long-term effects of SNAP-Ed on the food

security of the entire household and household adults and children among SNAP-eligible

households with children in Indiana. The research design is an experimental study, which

involves a randomized controlled, parallel design.

In the Methodology of the study the dependent variable is food insecurity. The

independent variables include, the study participants (n = 575) adults aged greater than equal to

18 years old from low-income Indiana households with greater than equal to 1 child living in the

household (Community and International Assistance, 2016). An instrument conducted was an

18-item US Household Food Security Survey Module and linear mixed model. Results

concluded “Food security score among household adults from baseline to 1-y follow-up were 1.2

6 0.4 and 0.9 6 0.3 units lower, respectively, in the intervention group than in the control group

(P < 0.01)” (Community and International Assistance, 2016). Household food security improved

by 25% over the 1-y study period among Indiana households with children when a household

adult received a SNAP-Ed intervention compared with a control group.

Limitations include a possible high attrition rate of 43%. Final results could have

differentiated if the unmarried SNAP-Ed population and different characteristics were included.

Also, unclear if SNAP improved dietary choices of participants, and healthy lifestyles.
LITERATURE REVIEW 4

All of these articles on Food insecurity were newsworthy and provides insight on how

serious of public heath issue food insecurity is among the population. These articles represented

how food insecurity can affect the overall health of a population, whether it being youth facing

adversity among food insecurity, or if education can help household’s dietary intake and health.

Public Health implications involved can be the widespread amount of screening, assessments,

and different types of variables it takes to conduct the studies. The results of the studies can lack

outcome of results among all populations in the public health community. Lobbying for more

funds in Public health can provide assistance to receive more results from multiple communities

to avoid biased results.