Food insecurity and epilepsy in a nationally representative sample

Abstract Background Food insecurity amongst patients with epilepsy has not been previously studied. The aim of this study was to compare the presence of food insecurity within a nationally representative sample of individuals reporting epilepsy with that within the general population. Methods The Ca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Epilepsy & behavior 2015-02, Vol.43, p.139-142
Main Authors: Gordon, Kevin E, Dooley, Joseph M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Canada - epidemiology
Child
Cohort Studies
Cross-Sectional Studies
Educational Status
Epilepsy
Epilepsy - epidemiology
Family Characteristics
Female
Food insecurity
Food Supply
Health Surveys
Humans
Income
Male
Middle Aged
Neurology
Population
Population-based
Socioeconomic Factors
Young Adult
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Summary:Abstract Background Food insecurity amongst patients with epilepsy has not been previously studied. The aim of this study was to compare the presence of food insecurity within a nationally representative sample of individuals reporting epilepsy with that within the general population. Methods The Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 3.1, is a cross-sectional survey that uses a stratified cluster sample design to obtain information on Canadians 12 years of age or older. Data on food insecurity were compared for those who reported having epilepsy and the remainder of the population. Results Of the 102,927 eligible survey respondents, 654 reported having epilepsy. Food insecurity was considerably more likely to be reported amongst those also reporting epilepsy with a rate of 10.8% compared with those not reporting epilepsy with a rate of 5.2% (odds ratio = 2.2, (95% CI = 1.6, 3.0)). Binary bivariate prediction of food insecurity within the population of respondents reporting epilepsy included the following: education, income, family size, and home ownership. Conclusions The experience of food insecurity appears to be more frequent amongst persons living with epilepsy. Whether this is related directly to epilepsy or factors within the epilepsy experience is unclear.
ISSN:1525-5050
1525-5069
DOI:10.1016/j.yebeh.2014.12.009