Page 21 - IJPS-9-1

International Journal of
Population Studies Food insecurity severity and depression

Table 3. Weighted multiple logistic regression examining a mental health professional in the past year also had
the association between food insecurity severity and major significantly increased odds of depression. Several reasons
depression for higher rates of depression among females have been
discussed in the literature, such as higher exposure to
aOR p‑value 95% CI
Food insecurity severity stressors and adverse conditions than males, leading
to depression. Some of these stressors include lower
Full food security Reference Reference Reference income and higher strain from their caregiving roles
Marginal food security 2.14 <0.05 1.21 – 3.79 (Hammen, 2018). Another source of added stress may
Low food security 2.66 <0.05 1.42 – 4.95 stem from a lack of social support which can contribute
Very low food security 4.18 <0.05 3.09 – 5.64 to depression. Previous finings have shown that women
Age 1.00 0.36 0.98 – 1.01 with low food security are 80% less likely to have social
Sex support compared to their food-secure counterparts (Ashe
& Lapane, 2018). Similarly, poor health and physiological
Male Reference Reference Reference stress are commonly purported to be the key mediators for
Female 1.60 <0.05 1.12 – 2.30 the association between low income and depression (Patel
Race/Hispanic origin et al., 2018). Our regression model also adjusted for visit
Mexican American 0.52 0.09 0.24 – 1.11 to a mental health professional, in which this association
Other Hispanic 0.73 0.36 0.37 – 1.43 is logical due to individuals with depression who are
Non-Hispanic White Reference Reference Reference more likely to seek support from a health professional.
Non-Hispanic Black 0.71 0.05 0.51 – 1.00 When the dependent variable is replaced with the variable
“visit to a mental health professional,” those with very
Other Race 1.25 0.30 0.82 – 1.87 low food security had significantly lower odds of visiting
Education level a professional, which held true in both unadjusted and
<9 grade 1.21 0.52 0.68 – 2.15 adjusted weighted regression models. Previous research
th
9–11 grade 1.47 0.16 0.86 – 2.50 using a national U.S. sample found that depression is more
th
High school graduate/GED 1.03 0.79 0.83 – 1.27 prevalent among adults who self-identified as multi-racial
Some college Reference Reference Reference or White, and less prevalent among Black and Hispanic
respondents (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
College graduate or above 0.67 0.21 0.36 – 1.25
Ratio of income to poverty 0.90 <0.05 0.83 – 0.97 Administration, 2019), which aligns with the racial-ethnic
disparities in depression that we observed in our study.
Seen mental health professional
in past year Our results have several implications for public health
Yes Reference Reference Reference research and practice. Despite a plethora of literature
No 0.19 <0.05 0.12 – 0.28 demonstrating that food insecurity is associated with
Note: GED: General educational development; aOR: Adjusted odds poorer mental health, future studies should investigate
other specific mental health disorders, such as generalized
ratio.
anxiety disorder, and how they may be affected by food
A variety of socioeconomic and physiological insecurity. Public health professionals should continue
factors may contribute to this outcome. One potential to work on implementing interventions to reduce food
explanation is that the impact nutritional deficiency has insecurity by increasing access to nutritious food options
on antidepressant drugs. Individuals with low folate levels and decreasing costs. For example, one intervention
have demonstrated a lower treatment response to selective could be the development of local community gardens
serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (Alpert et al., in vacant neighborhood spaces, which have been
2002). In tandem with these findings, it has also been noted reported to offer numerous benefits such as affordable
that increased serum levels of Vitamin B and folic acid food, community building, healthy and fresh food, and
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supplementation can strengthen antidepressant therapy exercise for community residents (Wong et al., 2018).
(Hintikka et al., 2003; Roberts et al., 2007). Low Vitamin In addition, as we saw in our results, individuals with a
B levels have been observed in the American population higher income relative to the poverty threshold were less
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and varied by age, with adults 70 years and older being the likely to experience depression. Alleviating poverty and
most impacted at about 6% of prevalence (Allen, 2009). income disparities is an ongoing focus of public health
work and other fields, and poverty plays an important
The regression model also indicated that females, role in an individual’s experiences with food security and
individuals with lower income, and those who had seen mental health. Policies aimed at reducing poverty through

Volume 9 Issue 1 (2023) 15 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.435