Page 20 - IJPS-9-1

International Journal of
Population Studies Food insecurity severity and depression

Table 1. Sample characteristics for respondents in the 2017– Table 2. Bivariate association between food insecurity
2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey severity and major depression
Characteristic Mean (SD) or % (n) Food insecurity No depression Depression Chi‑square
Age (range 18–80 years) 49.89 (18.78) severity (N=5,395) (N=461) test
2
Ratio of income to poverty (range 0 – 5) 2.52 (1.61) Full food security 65.3% (3316) 40.0% (172) Σ (3)=197.9,
P<0.001
Race/Hispanic origin Marginal food 14.2% (721) 14.9% (64)
Mexican American 13.50% (792) security
Other Hispanic 9.30% (543) Low food 12.5% (633) 18.1% (78)
Non-Hispanic White 34.70% (2,032) security
Non-Hispanic Black 22.90% (1,343) Very low food 8.1% (411) 27.0% (116)
security
Other races 19.60% (1,146)
Sex Overall, as food insecurity severity increases, the
Male 48.50% (2,840) odds ratio of experiencing major depression increases
Female 51.50% (3,016) and is statistically significant for all severity categories
Education level (Table 3). For example, respondents who experienced
<9 grade 8.60% (479) very low food security had a 318% significantly increased
th
9 – 11 grade 11.50% (638) odds of major depression compared to participants who
th
High school graduate/GED 23.80% (1,325) experienced full food security after adjusting for age, sex,
Some college 32.00% (1,778) race-ethnicity, education, income, and mental healthcare
College graduate or above 24.00% (1,336) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 4.18, 95% confidence interval
Seen mental health professional in past year [CI] = 3.09 – 5.64, p < 0.05).
Yes 10.30% (605) Several of our covariates in the regression model were
No 89.70% (5,250) also significantly associated with depression. Those who
were female had a 60% significantly increased odds of major
Food insecurity severity
Full food security 63.30% (3,488) depression compared to males (aOR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.12
– 2.30, p < 0.05). Every one-point increase in the income-
Marginal food security 14.20% (785) to-poverty ratio significantly decreased the odds of major
Low food security 12.90% (711) depression by 10% (aOR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.83 – 0.97,
Very low food security 9.60% (527) p < 0.05). Finally, those who reported not seeing a mental
Major depression health professional in the past year had an 81% significantly
No 92.10% (5,395) decreased odds of major depression compared to those
Yes 7.90% (461) who did (aOR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.12 – 0.28, p < 0.05).
Note: GED: General educational development.
4. Discussion
of depression. For example, most respondents with full Our results showed a positive association between
food security did not have depression (65.3%) compared food insecurity and major depression. Higher severity
to those with depression (40.0%). In contrast, those who of food insecurity corresponded with higher odds of
experienced very low food security had a higher proportion individuals experiencing depression. This association
of depression (27.0%) compared to no depression (8.1%). was statistically significant for every severity category,
3.3. Multiple logistic regression results and especially pronounced for those in the category
“very low food security,” which the USDA defines as
Our regression model predicting major depression was those with disrupted eating patterns and reduced food
statistically significant (F[6, 97] = 22.36, p < 0.001]. The intake due to a lack of money and other resources for
regression model correctly predicted 77.2% of cases, indicating food (Bickel et al., 2000). These findings are consistent
a good model fit. There are no independent variables with a with the previous research on the relationship between
variance inflation factor (VIF) >10 and the average VIF for food insecurity and poor mental health (Chung et al.,
the regression model is approximately 1.4, which indicates 2016; Hatsu et al., 2017; Nagata et al., 2019; Pound &
there is no multicollinearity (Kutner et al., 2004). Chen., 2021; Tarasuk et al., 2020).

Volume 9 Issue 1 (2023) 14 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.435