Research & Resources

In this study, researchers sought to determine the association between food insecurity risk and alcohol use disorder in a nationally representative sample of young adults. Using cross-sectional nationally representative data of 14,786 U.S. young adults ages 24–32, data from Wave IV (2008) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were analyzed to assess food insecurity risk and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) alcohol use disorder. Young adults with food insecurity risk had greater odds of moderate and severe threshold alcohol use disorder than food-secure young adults. Food insecurity risk also was associated with a 23 percent increase in problematic alcohol use behaviors (e.g., risky behaviors, continued alcohol use despite emotional or physical health problems, etc.). The researchers suggested that healthcare providers should screen for food insecurity and problematic alcohol use in young adults and provide referrals for further resources and treatment when appropriate.
This paper, “Food insecurity risk and alcohol use disorder in US young adults: Findings from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health,” was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and published in The American journal on addictions.