Childhood Hunger Pitch

Children from low-income families that report numerous experiences of food insufficiency and hunger are more likely to show academic, behavioral, and emotional problems at a higher rate than children from the same low-income communities whose families do not report experiences of hunger. Although this cannot be determined from a cross-sectional design, the strength of these findings suggests the importance of greater awareness in the communities on the part of physicians and public health officials of the role of food insufficiency and hunger in the lives of poor children.

Recent studies indicate that children in food-insecure households experience more psychological and emotional distress and academic failure. Food hardships have been shown to adversely affect children’s well-being in the following ways:

Increased behavioral problems: Food insecure children exhibit higher levels of aggressive and oppositional behaviors (hyperactivity, aggression, irritability, anxiety) as well as more withdrawn and distressed behavior.

Difficulty getting along with other children: Impaired psychosocial functioning associated with food insufficiency has been linked to social difficulties such as getting along with peers and making friends.

Increased need for special services: Children who are more often hungry are more likely to have received mental health counseling and educational services than their non-hungry peers.

Children living in food-insufficient homes also have a higher rate of negative academic and learning outcomes. Even mild to moderate malnutrition can be a developmental risk factor for children. Specifically, under-nutrition can limit a child’s ability to grasp basic skills and can diminish concentration and overall learning potential. Recent research provides evidence of the following impacts

Test scores tend to be lower and over-all academic achievement is poor. Children from households that report food insufficiency generally do not perform as well on...