A new study has shown that malnutrition is more common among children with chronic diseases than among healthy children.

Michigan Medicine researchers report in the journal JAMA Network Open that even considering key family and household characteristics such as income, education level and employment, the rate of malnutrition remained higher among children with chronic diseases.

The study suggests that children with chronic diseases should be a priority group in efforts to mitigate the effects of malnutrition, said lead author Nina Hill, MD, PhD, of the Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center at the University of Michigan.

Hill and her colleagues analyzed nationally representative survey data from 2019 to 2023, which included 34,188 children (ages 2 to 17) in the US. The analysis compared food insecurity rates in children with and without seven chronic conditions: asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay, intellectual disability, learning disabilities, and prediabetes/diabetes.

The results showed a gradual increase in risk: the more chronic conditions a child had, the greater the likelihood that the family would be food insecure.

The improvements seen during the coronavirus pandemic were short-lived. In 2021, there was a decrease in food insecurity among children with and without chronic conditions, likely due to the support measures provided during COVID-19.

The study authors emphasize the need for screening for food insecurity in pediatrics, particularly among children with chronic conditions, and connecting families with available resources.