The association between food security and military satisfaction among a representative sample of the active-duty United States military service members, 2020

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Military satisfaction is an important determinant for military retention and subsequently military readiness. Military readiness is also impacted by food insecurity, which affected 25% of active duty service members in 2018 and 2020, much higher than the 10% prevalence observed in civilians. The objective of this study is to estimate the association between food insecurity and 3 indicators of satisfaction with military life: active duty service member's overall satisfaction with military life, active duty service member's intent to leave the military, and married active duty service members' perceptions regarding spousal desire to leave the military. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 2020 Status of Forces Survey of Active Duty Members is a probability-based sample of all active duty service members in the U.S. Military (n=12,324). Weighted logistic regressions were used to estimate the associations between food insecurity and retention indicators controlling for observable confounders. This study was approved as public health practice by the Defense Centers for Public Health-Aberdeen. RESULTS: Respondents with either low food insecurity (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.45; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.18-1.78) or very low food insecurity (AOR: 1.68; 95% CI, 1.30-2.16) had greater odds of dissatisfaction with military way of life compared to food secure respondents. Additionally, very low food security was associated with greater odds of spousal desire to leave the active duty military. Respondents who reported they had lower levels of financial security had lower satisfaction with the military way of life, greater intent to leave the military, and greater spousal desire to leave active duty. CONCLUSIONS: In the present era of an all-volunteer military, novel strategies are needed to recruit and retain service members and their families. Although food insecurity was only associated with overall satisfaction with the military way of life, lower financial security was associated with satisfaction and intent to leave the military. Future studies could determine how financial security, including food insecurity, can be bolstered among active duty service members to increase retention and maintain military readiness.