(P02-088-25) Evaluating the Role of Levels of Education on Association Between Race and Food Insecurity in US

Objectives: To study the relationship between educational level, race and food insecurity in US using 2017-2020 NHANES data.

Methods: Cross-sectional study was done using NHANES 2017-March 2020 Pre-pandemic data to evaluate the effect of education on the association between race/ethnicity and food insecurity using participants >= 20-year-olds.

Outcome was household food security, a binary categorical variable, 1 being full food security and 2 being food insecure (groups 2, 3, and 4).

Primary exposure was race/ethnicity. (Mexican American and other Hispanic combined.

Participants ≥20 years reported their highest level of education. A categorical variable was created as the following: Less than high school diploma, High school diploma (with GED /equivalent), and College degree (including Associate’s, Bachelor’s, or more).

Covariates of interest were age (as a continuous variable), gender, marital status (Married/Living with Partner, widowed/divorced/separated, never married).

Those missing any data in our variables were excluded.

Means test and proportion frequency were done to evaluate differences in the continuous and categorical characteristics by food insecurity followed by logistic regression to evaluate the association between race and food security. Models were adjusted for significant demographic factors confounding the association between race, and food insecurity. Education was added to the model to evaluate confounding or modification between race and food insecurity. Race*education interaction term was used to evaluate if education modifies the association between race and food insecurity.

The interaction term was significant, so we tested for effect modification by education. All analyses was conducted using SAS with an alpha level of 0.05

Results: Education was found to be a significant confounder in the association between race/ethnicity and food insecurity, such that the odds of food insecurity 83% higher for the non-Hispanic Blacks , and 2.3-fold higher for participants of other racial and ethnic groups.

Conclusions: The lower educated non-Hispanic Blacks have lower odds of food insecurity since they can utilize the social services like SNAP benefits. The college educated non-Hispanic Blacks may already have a job and yet do not qualify for these benefits and hence are food insecure.

Funding Sources: N/A