An examination of food insecurity among economically disadvantaged youths in Taiwan

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the phenomenon of food insecurity and the experience of other material hardships among poor adolescents in Taiwan. Secondary data analyses were used. The data from a sample of 1392 adolescents in grades 7–9 were derived from the Taiwan Database on Children and Youth in Poverty: Taiwan Panel Study of Children and Youth in 2009. The concept of material hardships and three theoretical perspectives on food insecurity was examined in this study. The findings show that 22% of teenagers suffered from severe food insecurity. The problem of food insecurity was positively associated with other types of material hardships, including poor housing conditions, unmet medical needs and clothing. For the three theoretical perspectives, the family financial strain model and the family disruption model needed to be considered. Besides, teenagers who drop out of school and live in rural areas were more likely to suffer from food insecurity. Finally, policy suggestions are offered.