Robotic touch sensors are not just skin deep
May 2, 2025
Experiencing food insecurity in early childhood is associated with worse heart health two decades later, especially higher Body Mass Index (BMI). But participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may significantly mitigate that risk, reports a long-term Northwestern Medicine study in JAMA Cardiology.
The findings add new urgency to debates over funding for SNAP, as lawmakers consider potential cuts to the largest federal nutrition assistance program, which serves 41 million U.S. residents.
“SNAP may be one of our most powerful tools to protect food-insecure children’s long-term heart health,” said first author Emily Lam, a third-year medical student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “We believe our findings reinforce the role of SNAP to support the health of millions of children nationwide, especially in light of recent funding threats.”
Food insecurity — struggling to get enough nutritious food to stay healthy — affects one in eight households in the U.S. each year.
The Northwestern scientists analyzed data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, which has been tracking the health of more than 1,000 children born between 1998 and 2000 in 20 U.S. cities from birth into adulthood. The team examined food insecurity and SNAP participation during early childhood (ages 3-5), then assessed cardiovascular health at age 22 using the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Essential 8,” which includes BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, physical activity, diet and sleep.
At baseline, 39% of children experienced food insecurity. Among this group, those who did not receive SNAP had significantly worse cardiovascular health at age 22, particularly higher BMI and lower physical activity scores. But for children who received SNAP, these negative outcomes were largely avoided. Their heart health at age 22 was similar to that of their peers from food-secure households.
“Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S.,” said Lam. “If we can reduce those risks early in life through a program like SNAP, that’s a win for public health and a way to ease long-term economic strain on the health care system and on food-insecure households.”
Most prior research on food insecurity and heart health has focused on adults. This study is unique in tracking a large, diverse group of children into adulthood over two decades — capturing how early childhood, a critical period for development, can shape long-term health.
“We know that the risk for heart disease starts at a young age,” said senior author Dr. Nilay Shah, assistant professor of cardiology at Feinberg and a Northwestern Medicine cardiologist. "Understanding the link between food insecurity in childhood and long-term heart health helps reinforce the importance of nutrition assistance policies.”
The findings also emphasize the role of health care providers in screening for food insecurity and helping families connect to resources like SNAP.
The Northwestern team saw preliminary evidence that girls facing food insecurity may be at greater risk of worse cardiovascular outcomes than boys — though further study is needed.
Future research could also evaluate other interventions that promote food access, including community gardens, school lunch programs and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
This study was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Summer Research Scholars Program at Feinberg; the American Heart Association and the NIH.
