Women with Disabilities Report Food Insecurity.

• Position: DIET

Women with disabilities are nearly twice as likely to rate their diet as poor and are more likely to experience food insecurity compared to women without disabilities, according to a study led by researchers at the New York University School of Global Public Health.

Nearly 20% of women ages 18 to 44 report having at least one disability related to hearing, vision, cognition, mobility, self-care, or independent living. However, there has been limited research on the diets of women with disabilities.

"Eating a nutritious diet is central to preventing many chronic diseases. For women of reproductive age, a healthy diet can also support good outcomes during and after pregnancy, but a healthy diet requires access to healthy foods and the resources or ability to prepare them, and women with disabilities may face obstacles due to medical conditions or physical limitations," says lead author Andrea Deierlein, associate professor of public health nutrition.

The researchers analyzed data from the 2013-18 waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 3,579 women, ages 18 to 44, were asked about their food intake on a given day (which was calculated into diet...