Abstract Body: Introduction: Nutrition security is an emerging concept that expands upon the definition of food security – consistent access to sufficient quantity and quality of food – to include prevention, management, and treatment of disease. There is limited evidence on how nutrition security is related to heart health, specifically in populations disproportionately impacted by cardiovascular disease risk, such as Latina women.
Hypothesis: Latina women experiencing food and/or nutrition insecurity will have poorer indicators of Life’s Essential 8 compared to those with food and/or nutrition security.
Methods: Vida Sana y Completa is randomized controlled trial of a multi-component Food is Medicine (FIM) intervention for Latina women with obesity (BMI>30kg/m²). This analysis uses survey data from baseline assessment (n=165). Food security status was assessed using the USDA 6-item screener and nutrition security status was assessed using the 4-item Nutrition Security Scale. Outcomes included vegetable and fruit intake, BMI, blood pressure (BP), and mental health. Within group differences by food and nutrition security status were performed using ANOVA with Fischer’s least significant difference and independent two-sample t-tests.
Results: The majority (82%) reported food insecurity and approximately half (47%) reported nutrition insecurity. Women with very low or low food security consumed fewer vegetables compared to those with food security (1.7 vs. 2.1 vs. 3.0, respectively; p=0.02). Women with nutrition insecurity also consumed fewer servings of vegetables compared to participants with nutrition security (1.7 vs. 2.5; p=0.01). Systolic BP was higher among women with low food security, compared to participants with very low food security or participants with food security (p=0.01). Diastolic BP was higher for participants with low and very low food security compared to participants with food security (p=0.03). There was no difference in BP by nutrition security status. Participants with food and nutrition insecurity had more symptoms of depression and anxiety compared to participants with food and nutrition security(p<0.05). There were no differences in daily servings of fruit or BMI by food and/or nutrition security status.
Conclusion: Latina women with food and/or nutrition insecurity are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. FIM interventions may effectively address food and/or nutrition insecurity, as well as Life’s Essential 8, to improve heart health.