Long-Term Effects of Early Life Food Insecurity Health & Human Sciences Academic Year 2023 Accepted Psychological Sciences, Neuroscience and Behavior Food insecurity, as defined by the USDA, is a condition that describes people or households struggling to access a consistent and adequate amount of nutritious food to maintain a “healthy and active” lifestyle. No area is immune to this issue, from cities, to rural areas, to college campuses, food insecurity is everywhere. In the United States, a large percentage of families with children struggle with lack of access, something that deeply concerns pediatricians. It is well known that children living in a food insecure environment struggle both physically and psychologically, particularly as they develop. However, there lacks an understanding of the long term psychological impact of childhood and adolescent food insecurity. This study seeks to understand the connection between childhood and adolescent food insecurity, and adulthood anxiety, memory, and learning utilizing an animal model. Food insecurity is modeled through an unpredictable amount of feed calculated each day as a certain percent of the consumption of the control animals for each sex group. “Insecurity” is created by randomizing these percents, to ensure lack of predictability within the feed schedule. Anxiety-like behaviors are tested utilizing an elevated plus maze model, while memory and learning patterns are analyzed using the novel object recognition test. Kimberly P Kinzig Expectations include completing training in animal care, daily handling, weighing and feeding of rats, and assessment of behavioral and molecular outcomes of food insecurity. Training on all aspects occurs throughout the study. Necessary coursework includes basic biology. Student will complete training as required by Purdue Animal Care and Use Committee and throught he laboratory. 3 10 (estimated)
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