The Behavioral Consequences of Food Neglect among Child Welfare-Involved Youth

• In Event: Poster Session 04
  In Poster Session: PS 04 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

Introduction and Research Aim. For maltreated children involved with child welfare services (CWS) system, growing up amidst food scarcity may place them at further risk for detriments to their psychosocial development (Helton, Cross, Vaughn, & Gochez-Kerr, 2018; O'Malley, Klett, Klein, Inman, & Beck, 2017). However, save for a handful of studies (e.g., Helton et al., [2018]), less attention has been paid to the developmental consequences of food neglect. Food neglect occurs when parents are unable to provide adequate food for their child (Helton, 2016; Helton et al., 2018). To address this gap in the current knowledge base, the aim of this research is to investigate how food neglect relates to the behavioral outcomes of CWS-involved youth from low-income households.
Theoretical and Empirical Background. In the wake of food neglect, children can be deprived of nutrients critical to their neurocognitive development leading them to experience behavioral detriments; furthermore, and consistent with the family stress model (FSM; Masarik & Conger, 2017), the stress and strain that caregivers experience as they are unable to meet the basic food needs of children can compromise parent-child interactions, which in turn, can negatively influence children’s development (Helton et al., 2018). Of the limited literature addressing the effects of food neglect on children’s outcomes, evidence shows that young infants aged 3-12 months who experience food neglect, relative to other forms of maltreatment (e.g., physical maltreatment), have an increased probability of impaired cognition and language abilities (Helton et al., 2018).
Research Design. I used restricted-use secondary data from the Department of Health and Human Service’s (DHSS) National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II (NSCAW-II). The analytic sample consists of 1040 children aged 6-17 who are from low-income households below 200% of the federal poverty line. Key measures include caregiver report of food neglect based on the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales (CTSPC; Straus et al., 1997) and children’s externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors based on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991). Child level controls capture key demographic characteristics, while caregiver characteristics control for factors potentially confounded with food neglect, such caregiver mental health and depression. Table 1 provides sample descriptive statistics.
I estimate the relationship between food neglect and my selected problem behavior outcomes using first difference regression with child agency fixed effects. With this method, each caregiver serves as their own control thereby reducing bias due to observed and unobserved time stable factors.
Findings. Findings (Table 2) show that food neglect was significantly associated with higher internalizing behaviors (4.3; 95% CI [1.44, 7.19]; p < .01). This represents an effect size (ES) of approximately .70 SD. While food neglect was also related to higher externalizing behaviors (1.33; 95% CI [-1.79, 4.46]; p = .40), zero effects could not be ruled out.
Conclusion. This work expands the evidence base on the ramifications of food neglect among CWS-involved youth. Strengthening supports aimed at these children and their families have strong potential to shield these children from the potentially harmful developmental effects of food neglect.

Author

• Kevin Gee, University of California - Davis
  Presenting Author