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The relationship between familial incarceration and unhealthy eating patterns among a diverse adolescent population.

Mikaela M. Rojas MPH(c), Lizbeth Becerra MPH, Xiao Zhang MPH(c), Rasmey Kao MPH (c), Stephanie Collins MPH (c), Kim Rogers, BA, Myriam Forster Ph.D., MPH.

Background: Healthy eating patterns are essential for adolescent development. Unhealthy eating
patterns (UEP) (skipping meals, using laxatives, vomiting) compromise mental and physical
health, school performance, and intellectual development. Although the stress associated with
family trauma can undermine healthy eating behaviors this has not been studied in the context of
familial incarceration (FI). To address this research gap, we assessed the impact of FI on UEP
and explored potential sex and ethnic differences in this relationship.


Methods: Data are baseline survey responses (N=1,973) of diverse high school students enrolled
in a school-based study investigating risk and protective factors for developmental health
outcomes. Logistic regression models tested the hypothesized relationship between FI and UEP
and explored sex and ethnic differences, adjusting for covariates.


Results: On average, the sample was 16 years old (SD=1.8); 52% were female, 31% identified
as Non-Hispanic White, 31% as Black, 22% as Hispanic, 9% as Multiethnic, and 7% as
Asian/Pacific Islander. Approximately 13% of the sample reported having a parent/caregiver +
another family member incarcerated, 12% reported having noncustodial family members
incarcerated, and 10% reported having a parent/caregiver only incarcerated. One in five students
(20%) reported UEP. Compared to students with no history of FI, students with incarcerated
noncustodial relatives (i.e., sibling, grandparents) had nearly twice the odds of UEP (AOR: l.7,
95% CI:1.1, 2.7), students with a parent/caregiver only incarcerated had almost three times the
odds of UEP (AOR: 2.7, 95%CI:1.7, 4.4), and students who reported parent/caregiver + other
family members incarcerated had over three times the odds of UEP (AOR: 3.2, 95%CI:2.1, 5.0).
No differences were found across sex or ethnicity.


Conclusion: Our findings highlight that adolescents with any type of FI have higher odds of
UEP than their peers. This research can inform the development of trauma-informed, healthy-
eating programs tailored for this youth population.
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