Produce Intake is Lower in Food Insecure, Compared to Food Secure, Mothers of Young Children and Using Family Resource Centre Services on Prince Edward Island

摘要

The study examined differences in produce intake by food security status of adult mothers aged 18 and older with young children living on Prince Edward Island (PEI) and using Family Resource Centre services. Validated measures of household adult foodsecurity and produce intake/related behaviors were utilized. Participants (n = 282) were primarily white (n = 262, 92.9%) and married (n = 164, 58.2%). Age ranged from 18 to 53 years (30 + 5 years, n = 280). Regarding household adult food security (n = 281), 168 (59.6%) experienced food security during the previous 12 months, and 113 (40.1%) experienced food insecurity (food insecure-marginal [n = 29, 10.3%]; food insecure-moderate [n = 46, 16.4%]; food insecure-severe [n = 38, 13.5%]). Total produce (P< .001), fruit (P < .001), and vegetable (P = .001) differed by household adult food security; mothers who experienced severe food insecurity consumed less total produce than food secure or food insecure-moderate mothers by 1.8 and 1.3 servings daily, respectively. Mothers of young children living on PEI who experienced severe food insecurity had lower produce intake compared to other mothers. Further exploration of programs and services to improve food insecurity among these mothers is warranted.