The purpose of this study was to determine whether household food insecurity is associated with adverse health outcomes in a sentinel population ages ≤36 months. In a sample of 11,539 caregivers of children ≤ 36 months 21.4% were food insecure. In a logistic regression, adjusting for confounders, food-insecure children had odds of “fair or poor” health nearly twice as great and odds of being hospitalized since birth almost a third larger than food-secure children. Ensuring food insecurity for young, low-income children may reduce health problems, including the need for hospitalizations.
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