BackgroundFood insecurity, a social and economic condition of limited availability of healthy food, is a risk factor for adverse cardiovascular health outcomes among adults; few studies have been conducted in adolescents. This study explores the association between food insecurity and cardiovascular health risk factors among a nationally representative sample of US adolescents, adopting the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 metric.Methods and ResultsWe analyzed data from 2534 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years from the 2013 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. In the sample, 24.8% of adolescents lived in food‐insecure households. After multivariable adjustment, food insecurity was associated with a 3.23‐unit lower total Life's Essential 8 score (95% CI, −6.32, −0.15) and lower scores on diet quality (β=−5.39 [95% CI, −8.91, −1.87]) and nicotine exposure (β=−4.85 [95% CI, −9.24, −0.45]). Regarding diet, food insecurity was associated with 5% lower Healthy Eating Index‐2015 scores [95% CI, −7%, −2%], particularly lower intakes of whole grains and seafood/plant proteins and marginally higher intake of added sugar. Regarding nicotine exposure, food insecurity was associated with ever use of a tobacco product among m (odds ratio, 1.74 [95% CI, 1.20–2.53]). Compared with their food‐secure counterparts, food‐insecure male (odds ratio, 1.98 [95% CI, 1.07–3.65]) and female (odds ratio, 3.22 [95% CI, 1.60–6.45]) adolescents had higher odds of living with a current indoor smoker.ConclusionsIn this nationally representative sample of adolescents, food insecurity was associated with multiple indicators of cardiovascular health risk. These findings underscore the need for public health interventions and policies to reduce food insecurity and improve cardioprotective behaviors during adolescence, with particular efforts targeting diet quality and nicotine exposure.

中文翻译：

---

美国青少年的粮食不安全和理想的心血管健康风险因素

背景粮食不安全是一种健康食品供应有限的社会和经济状况，是成人心血管健康不良结果的一个危险因素；在青少年中进行的研究很少。本研究采用美国心脏协会的 Life's Essential 8 指标，探讨了具有全国代表性的美国青少年样本中食品不安全与心血管健康风险因素之间的关联。方法和结果我们分析了 2013 年至 2018 年 2534 名 12 至 19 岁青少年的数据全国健康和营养检查调查。在样本中，24.8% 的青少年生活在粮食不安全的家庭中。多变量调整后，粮食不安全与 Life's Essential 8 总分降低 3.23 个单位（95% CI，-6.32，-0.15）和饮食质量得分降低（β=-5.39 [95% CI，-8.91，- 1.87]）和尼古丁暴露（β=-4.85 [95% CI，-9.24，-0.45]）。在饮食方面，食品不安全与2015年健康饮食指数得分降低5%有关[95% CI，-7%，-2%]，特别是全谷物和海鲜/植物蛋白摄入量较低以及添加糖摄入量略高。关于尼古丁暴露，食物不安全与 m 中曾经使用过烟草制品有关（比值比，1.74 [95% CI，1.20-2.53]）。与粮食安全的同龄人相比，粮食不安全的男性（比值比，1.98 [95% CI，1.07–3.65]）和女性（比值比，3.22 [95% CI，1.60–6.45]）青少年的生存几率更高结论在这个具有全国代表性的青少年样本中，食品不安全与心血管健康风险的多个指标相关。这些发现强调需要采取公共卫生干预措施和政策，以减少粮食不安全并改善青春期的心脏保护行为，特别是针对饮食质量和尼古丁暴露做出努力。