Nutrition and water insecurity among US children more than doubled in 15 years

11 Jun 2024 --- New research by the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), US, reveals that the number of US children experiencing simultaneous food and water insecurity more than doubled between 2005 and 2020, with black and Hispanic children several times more likely to be facing this situation.

In 2005 and 2006, 4.6% of US children were living with both food and water insecurity, but by the 2017–2020 survey cycle, this figure rose to 10.3%, the researchers find.

“Millions of children in this country are facing potential negative consequences for their mental health, physical health and economic futures,” comments study lead Asher Rosginer, associate professor of biobehavioral health and anthropology at Penn State.

Rosginer’s team highlights a link between water and food insecurity, finding that “children were more likely to experience food insecurity when they did not drink tap water.”

“Nearly one in ten children were experiencing household food insecurity and avoiding their tap water by 2020, and we know that the COVID-19 pandemic only made food insecurity more pervasive.”

Water for nutrition
The scientific article published in Nature Water examined water and food insecurity and their concurrent occurrence by analyzing data from 18,252 children in the US collected through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), an annual nationally representative assessment of health and nutrition.

Millions of children in the US are facing potential negative consequences for their mental health, physical health and economic futures because of water safety issues.While the NHANES report measures food insecurity directly, it does not look at water insecurity. However, it does ask about “tap water avoidance,” which the research team used as a relevant variable in measuring the issue of safe water access.

According to Rosinger, who leads the Penn State College of Health and Human Development’s environmental health sciences program and directs the Water, Health and Nutrition Lab, water and nutrition are inherently connected, with children who have to avoid tap water having a higher chance of also experiencing food insecurity.

“Right now, many people in the US equate the existence of water infrastructure with being water secure,” adds co-author Sera Young. “But piped water can be unaffordable, contaminated, dried up or otherwise not available. And let us not forget that there are millions of people in the US living without piped water.”

Citizens who avoid tap water because of previous negative experiences are less likely to cook nutritious food at home and for their children because of a lack of trust in its safety.

Those who live in circumstances that reduce their ability to consume tap water are also more likely to turn to sugary beverages as a substitute. Because of the necessity to purchase the far more expensive bottled water, these groups may have fewer resources to purchase nutritious food.

The research finds that water insecurity fluctuated between 2005 and 2013. Between 2013 and 2020, the odds of water insecurity have risen by 80%, as measured by children’s avoidance of tap water.

Rosinger adds: “We saw the biggest effect for children in low-income and lower-middle-income households, but even in households that earned incomes several times the national poverty level, children were more likely to face food insecurity if they did not drink tap water.”

Disparities in access
The paper further points out that the issue of water security, as it pertains to nutrition security, was much higher among children with a Hispanic background, being over seven times more likely than white children to experience water and food insecurity simultaneously.

Black children were 3.5 times more likely to be in this situation than their white counterparts.

“Most people are aware that Flint, Michigan, experienced a crisis related to unsafe tap water, and Flint is a majority Black community,” Rosinger says. “Since then, there have been other highly visible problems with water systems in majority-minority communities like Newark in New Jersey and Jackson in Mississippi.”

Citizens who avoid tap water because of previous negative experiences are less likely to cook nutritious food at home and for their children because of a lack of trust in its safety.“When you see on the news that people who look like you are getting sick from tap water, it can amplify mistrust. Additionally, minoritized populations often have poorer access to services, especially people who live in low-income communities.”

The report highlights that people who had brown water coming out of their taps were told that it was safe to drink. “But smell, taste and color affect whether people trust their water. This mistrust is rational and needs to be addressed.”

Governmental action
Rosinger states that more can be done to address water and food security in the US, calling for government programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to be expanded further.

The US government recently announced that it is updating and growing the scope and funding for WIC to address the many issues brought up by Rosinger’s team, which was met with approval by US NGOs working to improve nutrition security.

“While there are a couple million people without safe, reliable drinking water, 99% of US households have access to water through a pipe in their home, and the vast majority of that water is clean and drinkable,” Rosinger says. He adds that the US has one of the best water distribution systems in the world.

“To rebuild trust in this system, we should provide testing to show that water is safe. We should replace lead service lines and provide filters where water is not safe. These actions will help ensure that our nation’s children have access to the clean water they need to grow and thrive and that their families do not suffer extra financial and mental stress because of uncertain water quality,” he concludes.

By Milana Nikolova

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