Household Food Insecurity and Cognition in Youth and Young Adults with Youth-Onset Diabetes

Objective. We evaluated the association of household food insecurity (FI) with cognition in youth and young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D). Design. In this cross-sectional study, age-adjusted scores for composite fluid cognition, and sub-domain scores for receptive language and inhibitory control and attention, were stratified by diabetes type using linear regression, with FI in the past year as the predictor, controlling for covariates. Tests for processing speed, inhibitory control/attention, working memory, episodic memory, and cognitive flexibility were administered to measure the composite fluid cognition score. The NIHT-CB Picture Vocabulary Test was used to assess the crystallized cognition score, and rapid identification of congruent versus noncongruent items was used to assess inhibitory control and attention score. Setting. The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study is representative of five U.S. states. Participants. Included 1,574 youth and young adults with T1D or T2D, mean age of 21 years, mean diabetes duration of 11 years, 51% were non-Hispanic white, and 47% had higher HbA1c levels (>9% HbA1c). Results. Approximately 18% of the 1,240 participants with T1D and 31% of the 334 with T2D experienced FI. The food-insecure group with T1D had a lower composite fluid cognition score (beta=-2.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) =-4.8, -0.1) and a lower crystallized cognition score (beta=-3.4, CI =-5.6, -1.3) than food-secure peers. Findings were attenuated to non-significance after adjustment for demographics. Among T2D participants, no associations were observed. In participants with T1D, effect modification by glycemic levels was found in the association between FI and composite fluid cognition score but adjustment for socioeconomic characteristics attenuated the interaction (p = 0.0531). Conclusions. Food-insecure youth and young adults with T1D or T2D did not have different cognition compared to those who were food-secure after adjustment for confounders. Longitudinal research is needed to further understand relations amongst these factors.