*WINNER* Food Insecurity on Adolescent Development

Abstract

Is there a correlation between food insecurity and adolescent development? Food insecurity can have a negative impact on the health of many children across the United States as well as our world. Food insecurity exists when people don’t have access to safe and nutritious foods to meet nutrient needs and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The research I reviewed for this project defines the food insecure as people who are not able to meet their nutrient needs because of the circumstances they are under and it also shows existing correlations between food insecurities and adolescent development. This review will explore the correlations between food insecurity and the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development in adolescents. Searching using key terms like ‘Food insecurity’, ‘Food insecurity and health outcomes’, and ‘Food insecurity and development’ led to articles that provide supporting evidence of this correlation. If there is a correlation between food insecurity and developing adolescents then further research can examine how to reduce food insecurity in order to have more positive developmental outcomes for developing adolescents. In conclusion, this review will explore a possible relationship between food insecurity and adolescent development in order to lay a foundation for future research aimed at improving the lives of growing children in the adolescent phase of development.