Household food insecurity is associated with depressive symptoms: results from a Mexican population-based survey

AbstractThe objective of this cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between food insecurity and depression in the Mexican population. We used data from the 2012 health and nutrition survey (ENSANUT), which is representative of the Mexican population. Food insecurity was determined by the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA). Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale Short-Form (CES-D-SF). Adjusted logistic regression analyses and ANCOVA were used. Out of 33,011 participants, 5788 (18%) had high depressive symptoms and 24,098 (73%) experienced food insecurity. The adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that, participants with mild food insecurity, (OR = 1.47,95% CI = 1.27 to 1.71), moderate food insecurity (OR = 2.14,95% CI = 1.85 to 2.47) and severe food insecurity (OR = 3.01,95% CI = 2.51 to 3.60,) were more likely to have high depressive symptoms than food secure participants. Participants with moderate food insecurity (OR =1.45, 95% CI = 1.28 to 1.64) and severe food insecurity (OR =2.04, 95% CI = 1.76 to 2.37) were more likely to suffer from depression as compared to participants with mild food insecurity. Participants with severe food insecurity were more likely (OR=1.41, 95% CI = 1.21 to 1.65) to suffer from depression compared to participants with moderate food insecurity. This paper provides an overview of the complex problem of food insecurity and mental health. Despite the unknown causality, the analysis suggests a strong association between depression and food insecurity. This problem calls for much more attention from the scientific community. Given the high prevalence of depression and the high prevalence of household food insecurity in Mexico, the implementation of successful public health programs to improve food security is necessary.

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Food Insecurity Is Not Related to Cognitive Function in School-Aged Children in Querétaro, Mexico

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzaa043_039 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 188-188

Author(s):

Olga Garcia ◽

Karina Miranda ◽

Hugo Melgar-Quiñonez ◽

Jorge Rosado

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Food Security ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Latin American ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Level Of Education ◽

School Aged Children ◽

Household Food

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the relationship between household food insecurity and food insecurity of the mothers during her childhood with cognitive function in school children in Querétaro. Methods A total of 153 children (6–10 y) of public elementary schools in the municipality of Querétaro participated in a cross-sectional study. Household food insecurity was measured using the ELCSA (Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale) and a validated questionnaire to measure food insecurity of the mother during her childhood. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist circumference) were taken by standardized personnel and the WISC IV scale adapted to children for the determination of cognitive function was applied by trained psychologists. Statistical ANOVA tests were used to determine mean differences in cognitive function between children with and without food insecurity. A logistic regression was also calculated to determine the odds of having low cognitive function in the presence of food insecurity, both at the household level and of the mother during her childhood. All analyses were adjusted for maternal level of education as a confounder. Results The children had a combined prevalence of overweight and obesity of 39.9%. A total of 54.3% of the households had food insecurity and 80.4% of the mothers had food insecurity in their childhood. The prevalence of the average score of the Total Intelligence Quotient (TIQ) of the children was 52.3%, and 38.2% had TIQ below average. Children living in households with food insecurity and with mothers that had food insecurity in their past had lower TIQ (89.08 ± 8.23, and, 91.87 ± 11.18, respectively) compared with children in food secure households (95.39 ± 12.20) and with mothers that had food security in their childhood (96.87 ± 12.03). However, after adjusting for maternal level of education, no relationship was observed between food insecurity and TIQ. Similarly, the adjusted logistic regression model showed no relationship between food insecurity in the household and mother's food insecurity in the past with TIQ. Conclusions In the present study, food insecurity was not related to cognitive function of school-aged children in Querétaro, Mexico. Funding Sources Partially funded by CONACYT.

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Food Insecurity and the Double Burden of Malnutrition in Colombian Rural Households

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021002895 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-39

Author(s):

Ana María Sansón-Rosas ◽

Jennifer Bernal-Rivas ◽

Stan Kubow ◽

Andrés Suarez ◽

Hugo Melgar-Quiñonez

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Latin American ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Rural Households ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Double Burden ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Household Food ◽

Double Burden Of Malnutrition

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to examine in Colombian rural households the association between different severity levels of household food insecurity and the presence of the double burden of malnutrition (SCOWT), defined as the coexistence of a stunted child under five years and an overweight or obese (OWOB) mother. Design: A secondary data analysis was conducted using cross-sectional data from the Colombian National Nutritional Survey (ENSIN) 2015. Household food insecurity status was assessed by using the Latin-American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA). The household SCOWT status (child stunting and OWOB mother) was determined using anthropometric data from a mother and her child. Setting: Rural Colombia Participants: 2.350 mother-child pairs living in the same household Results: Sixty-two percent of the households were food insecure and SCOWT was present in 7.8% of the households. Moderate (OR: 2.39 – CI: 1.36 - 4.21) and severe (OR: 1.86 – CI: 1.10 - 3.15) food insecurity was associated with SCOWT in an unadjusted logistic regression. Only moderate food insecurity remained significantly associated with SCOWT in a multivariate logistic regression (aOR: 2.41 - IC: 1.24 – 4.68). Conclusions: Colombian rural areas are not exempt from the worldwide concern of increasing OWOB rates while stunting is still persistent. These results highlight the need of implementing double duty rural actions targeting most vulnerable households to SCOWT, particularly in terms of overcoming food insecurity beyond hunger satisfaction to prevent all forms of malnutrition.

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Household food insecurity, income loss, and symptoms of psychological distress among adults following the Cyclone Amphan in coastal Bangladesh

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0259098 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (11) ◽

pp. e0259098

Author(s):

Ahmed Hossain ◽

Bayes Ahmed ◽

Taifur Rahman ◽

Peter Sammonds ◽

Shamrita Zaman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Food Security ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Psychological Symptoms ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Income Loss ◽

Coastal Bangladesh ◽

Household Food ◽

High Prevalence

Introduction Cyclone Amphan swept into Bangladesh’s southwestern coast at the end of May 2020, wreaking havoc on food security and economic stability, as well as possibly worsening mental health. We studied the prevalence of post-cyclone stressors in adults following the cyclone and its association with symptoms of psychological distress. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in a coastal district of Bangladesh. A five-item brief symptom rating scale was used to measure the symptoms of psychological distress. Household food insecurity was measured using the USAID Household Food Insecurity Access Scale questionnaire. We estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) using robust log-linear models adjusted for potential confounders. Results A total of 478 adults (mean [SD] age, 37.0[12.6] years; 169[35.4%] women) participated in the study. The prevalence of moderate-to-severe psychological symptoms and suicidal ideation was 55.7% and 10.9%, respectively. Following the cyclone, 40.8% of the adults reported severe food insecurity, and 66% of them reported moderate-to-severe mental health symptoms. Also, 54.4% of women and 33.7% of men reported severe food insecurity in the households. Moreover, 25.5% of respondents reported no income or a significant income loss after the cyclone, and 65.5% of them had moderate-to-severe psychological symptoms. Also, 13.8% of respondents reported housing displacement because of severely damaged houses, and 68.2% of them reported moderate-to-severe psychological symptoms. The high prevalence of mental health symptoms was found in women (aPR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.06–1.82), people with severe food insecurity (aPR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.01–2.64), and people who lost jobs or lost a major income source (aPR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.02–1.54). Conclusion Following cyclone Amphan, many low-income individuals saw their income drop drastically while others were unemployed and living with severe food insecurity. The result suggests gender inequalities in food-security after the cyclone. Immediate action is needed to ensure household food-security for reducing the burden of mental illness. Rising opportunities of paid-jobs and decreasing income-loss, especially for the poor people, can have a protective impact on psychological distress. However, due to the high prevalence of severe psychological symptoms, long-term mental health services are required among the population of coastal Bangladesh.

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Measurement lessons of a repeated cross-sectional household food insecurity survey during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico

10.1101/2020.08.04.20167650 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Pablo Gaitan-Rossi ◽

Mireya Vilar-Compte ◽

Graciela Teruel ◽

Rafael Perez-Escamilla

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Latin American ◽

Well Being ◽

Mobile Telephone ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Adequate Model ◽

Household Food

Objective To validate the telephone modality of the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA) included in three waves of a phone survey to estimate the monthly household food insecurity (HFI) prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. Design We examined the reliability and internal validity of the ELCSA scale in three repeated waves of a cross-sectional surveys with Rasch models. We estimated the monthly prevalence of food insecurity in the general population and in households with and without children, and compared them with a national 2018 survey. We tested concurrent validity by testing associations of HFI with socioeconomic status and anxiety. Setting ENCOVID-19 is a monthly telephone cross-sectional survey collecting information on the well-being of Mexican households during the pandemic lockdown. Surveys used probabilistic samples and we used data from April (n=833), May (n=850), and June 2020 (n=1,674). Participants Mexicans 18 years or older who had a mobile telephone. Results ELCSA had adequate model fit and HFI was associated, within each wave, with more poverty and anxiety. The COVID-19 lockdown was associated with an important reduction in food security; decreasing stepwise from 38.9% in 2018 to 24.9% in June 2020 in households with children. Conclusions Telephone surveys are a feasible strategy to monitor food insecurity with ELCSA.

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Factors Associated with Stunting of Under Five-year Children: Findings from Panel Surveys in Mountains, Dry Zone and Delta Regions of Rural Myanmar (2016–17) (P04-039-19)

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzz051.p04-039-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Min Kyaw Htet ◽

Michael Dibley ◽

Anu Rammohan ◽

Mark Vicol ◽

Bill Pritchard

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Dietary Diversity ◽

Univariate Analysis ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Maternal Height ◽

Under Five ◽

Household Food

Abstract Objectives This study investigates the role of food security, agriculture, dietary diversity, and socio-demographic factors on stunting of under-five children in 3 different ecological zones in Myanmar using panel survey data. Methods We conducted 2 repeated cross-sectional surveys among the same households in mountain, plain and delta areas of rural areas of Myanmar. We purposely selected two adjacent townships in each zone and from each township we randomly selected 20 villages proportionate to population size sampling. We then randomly selected 30 households in each village to achieve 1200 households with under 5-year children per state. We recruited 3231 households in the first survey in early 2016 and revisited the same households in late 2017 to assess seasonal variations. In each survey, we collected data on access to land for agriculture, home gardens, agricultural assets, types of crops, household assets, household dietary diversity, and household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS), as well as anthropometry from under 5 children. We used an app to collect data in both surveys electronically. We constructed village level scores for agricultural diversity and transportation. To assess risk factors we used multilevel logistic regression to adjust for survey design and within-person correlation from repeated surveys. Results We visited 90.4% of households in the second survey (N = 2921). A total of 2049 under 5 children participated in the first survey and 1696 in the second. The % of households that were food secure and had dietary diversity > = 5 increased in the second survey but the overall prevalence of stunting increased from 40.4% to 42.0% with highest stunting prevalence in Chin state (62.4%). Univariate analysis showed owning agricultural land > 2 acres, high village-average transportation score, household food insecurity and maternal height were associated with stunting. Multilevel mixed logistic regression showed maternal height, child age, wealth and transportation score were key determinants for stunting - Table 4. Conclusions The level of child stunting was high, especially in Chin state which had the highest levels of food insecurity. Food security is a problem in rural Myanmar but transportation was a significant risk factor that is commonly overlooked in nutrition interventions. Funding Sources Australian Research Council DP150102053. Supporting Tables, Images and/or Graphs

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Predictors and Inter-Linkage of Household and Individual Food Insecurity in Urban Geriatric Subjects: A Community Based Study from India

Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal ◽

10.12944/crnfsj.9.2.27 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 639-652

Author(s):

Dr. Priya Keshari ◽

Dr. Hari Shankar

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Well Being ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Level Energy ◽

Community Based ◽

Individual Level ◽

Household Food

Food insecurity affects many dimensions of well-being. It may lead to under nutrition. Although geriatric subjects from food insecure households are more likely to have inadequate energy, household food security does not necessarily guarantee for energy adequacy at individual level. This community based cross-sectional study was conducted on 616 geriatric subjects to find out predictors of food insecurity at household and individual level and examine energy adequacy at family versus individual level. Subjects were selected by multistage sampling procedure from urban Varanasi, India. A predesigned, pretested proforma was used for collecting socioeconomic information. Food insecurity was assessed using Household Food Insecurity Access Scale; 24 hours recall method was used for energy intakes. For analysis of data SPSS version 22.0 was used. χ2 and logistic regression were used for inferential purpose. Food insecurity at household was 68.2%.The significant association of marital status, religion, type and size of family and literacy status with household food insecurity in univariate analysis got eliminated after applying logistic regression analysis; Adjusted Odds Ratios were higher for SC/ST Caste (2.13; 95% CI: 1-4.5) and upper lower plus lower socio economic status(24.13; 95% CI: 13.87-44.61). On energy intake considerations, of 53.9% subjects with household food insecurity, 80.7% had individual food insecurity whereas of 46.1% subjects with household food security 63.7% subjects had individual food insecurity. Caste and socioeconomic class predicted food insecurity at household level. Energy adequacy at family level did not ensure energy adequacy in geriatric subjects.

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Preparing for COVID-19: Household food insecurity and vulnerability to shocks in Nairobi, Kenya

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0259139 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (11) ◽

pp. e0259139

Author(s):

Elizabeth Opiyo Onyango ◽

Jonathan Crush ◽

Samuel Owuor

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Emergency Preparedness ◽

Multilevel Modelling ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Preparedness Plan ◽

Household Food ◽

New Policies ◽

Social Safety Nets

An understanding of the types of shocks that disrupt and negatively impact urban household food security is of critical importance to develop relevant and targeted food security emergency preparedness policies and responses, a fact magnified by the current COVID-19 pandemic. This gap is addressed by the current study which draws from the Hungry Cities Partnership (HCP) city-wide household food insecurity survey of Nairobi city in Kenya. It uses both descriptive statistics and multilevel modelling using General Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) to examine the relationship between household food security and 16 different shocks experienced in the six months prior to the administration of the survey. The findings showed that only 29% of surveyed households were completely food secure. Of those experiencing some level of food insecurity, more experienced economic (55%) than sociopolitical (16%) and biophysical (10%) shocks. Economic shocks such as food price increases, loss of employment, and reduced income were all associated with increased food insecurity. Coupled with the lack of functioning social safety nets in Nairobi, households experiencing shocks and emergencies experience serious food insecurity and related health effects. In this context, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have a major negative economic impact on many vulnerable urban households. As such, there is need for new policies on urban food emergencies with a clear emergency preparedness plan for responding to major economic and other shocks that target the most vulnerable.

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Association between food insecurity and anemia among women of reproductive age

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.1945 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. e1945 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Bishwajit Ghose ◽

Shangfeng Tang ◽

Sanni Yaya ◽

Zhanchun Feng

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Hemoglobin Concentration ◽

Reproductive Age ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Women Of Reproductive Age ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Wealth Status ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Household Food

Background:Food insecurity and hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiency) affect about two billion people globally. Household food insecurity (HFI) has been shown to be associated with one or multiple micronutrient (MMN) deficiencies among women and children. Chronic food insecurity leads to various deficiency disorders, among which anemia stands out as the most prevalent one. As a high malnutrition prevalent country, Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of anemia among all Asian countries. In this study, we wanted to investigate for any association exists between HFI and anemia among women of reproductive age in Bangladesh.Methodology:Information about demographics, socioeconomic and anemia status on 5,666 married women ageing between 13 and 40 years were collected from a nationally representative cross-sectional survey Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS 2011). Food security was measured by the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Capillary hemoglobin concentration (Hb) measured by HemoCue® was used as the biomarker of anemia. Data were analysed using cross-tabulation, chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression methods.Results:Anemia prevalence was 41.7%. Logistic regression showed statistically significant association with anemia and type of residency (p = 0.459; OR = 0.953, 95%CI = 0.840–1.082), wealth status (Poorest: p < 0.001; OR = 1.369, 95%CI = 1.176–1.594; and average: p = 0.030; 95%CI = 1.017–1.398), educational attainment (p < 0.001; OR = 1.276, 95%CI = 1.132–1.439) and household food insecurity (p < 0.001; 95%CI = 1.348–1.830). Women who reported food insecurity were about 1.6 times more likely to suffer from anemia compared to their food secure counterparts.Conclusion:HFI is a significant predictor of anemia among women of reproductive age in Bangladesh. Programs targeting HFI could prove beneficial for anemia reduction strategies. Gender aspects of food and nutrition insecurity should be taken into consideration in designing national anemia prevention frameworks.

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Association between Household Food Insecurity and Asthma in Korean Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16122115 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (12) ◽

pp. 2115 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Seo-Hee Park ◽

Byung-Jin Park ◽

Dong-Hyuk Jung ◽

Yu-Jin Kwon

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Confidence Intervals ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Asthma Prevalence ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Confounding Factors ◽

Odds Ratios ◽

Korean Adults ◽

Household Food

Household food insecurity has been associated with noncommunicable diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between household food insecurity and asthma in Korean adults. Household food security statuses were classified into three groups: Food-secure household, food-insecure household without hunger, and food-insecure household with hunger. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the presence of asthma according to household food security status were calculated using multiple logistic regression analyses after adjusting for confounding factors. A total of 14,770 participants were included in the analysis. The prevalence of asthma was 2.6% in those with a secure food status, 3.2% in those with an insecure food status without hunger, and 7.6% in those with an insecure food status with hunger (p < 0.001). Compared with that in participants with a household food secure status, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for asthma were 1.12 (0.73–1.73) in those with a food-insecure household without hunger status and 2.44 (1.33–4.46) in those with a food-insecure household with hunger status after additionally adjusting for confounding factors. We found that household food insecurity with hunger was significantly associated with asthma prevalence in Korean adults. Implementation of household food security screening and public health intervention could be helpful to prevent and reduce asthma in adults.

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Comparing measures of urban food security in Accra, Ghana

Food Security ◽

10.1007/s12571-020-01011-4 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 417-431 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Cascade Tuholske ◽

Kwaw Andam ◽

Jordan Blekking ◽

Tom Evans ◽

Kelly Caylor

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Poor Correlation ◽

Household Food Insecurity ◽

Urban Food Security ◽

Household Level ◽

Household Food ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Food Insecurity Access

AbstractThe urban population in Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to expand by nearly 800 million people in the next 30 years. How this rapid urban transition is affecting household-level urban food security, and reverberating into broader food systems, is poorly understood. To fill this gap, we use data from a 2017 survey (n = 668) of low- and middle-income residents of Accra, Ghana, to characterize and compare the predictors of household-level food security using three established metrics: the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS); the Household Food Insecurity Access Prevalence (HFIAP); and the Food Consumption Score (FCS). According to HFIAP, 70% of sampled households are food insecure, but only 2% fall below acceptable thresholds measured by FCS. Only one household reported sourcing food from modern supermarkets and fewer than 3% produce food for consumption through gardening, farming, or fishing. Instead, households rely on purchased food from traditional markets, local stalls and kiosks, and street hawkers. Results from a suite of general linear models show that household assets, education, and demographic characteristics are significantly associated with food security outcomes according to HFIAS and HFIAP. The poor correlation and weak model agreement between dietary recall such as FCS, and experience-based food security metrics, like HFIAS and HFIAP, highlight limitations of employing historically rural-centric food security measurement approaches within the urban context. Given that Sub-Saharan Africa’s future is urban, our results add empirical evidence in support of the growing chorus of scholars advocating for comprehensive urban-oriented food security research and policy agendas across Sub-Saharan Africa.

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