Screening of Pediatric Patients at Cardiology Clinic Identifies High Prevalence of Food Insecurity

INTRODUCTION: Food insecurity (FI) is a social driver that profoundly affects the health of children. Nutritional optimization is essential in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional survey screening for FI among patients aged 0-21 years at an outpatient pediatric cardiology clinic between September 2023 and December 2024. Sociodemographic and clinical data from encounters were collected, and diagnostic codes were used to classify CHD severity. The zip code-level median household income was determined using data from the U.S. Census. The Childhood Opportunity Index categorization was used to determine neighborhood-level resources. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to assess sociodemographic associations with FI. RESULTS: < 0.0001). There were no differences in FI status by CHD severity. CONCLUSIONS: FI was highly prevalent in this cohort and was associated with low-income and low-resource neighborhoods, Hispanic ethnicity, and a Spanish primary language. These results may have implications for targeting future FI interventions.