Food insecurity and mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Pourmotabbed, Ali; Moradi, Sajjad; Babaei, Atefeh; Ghavami, Abed; Mohammadi, Hamed; Jalili, Cyrus; Symonds, Michael; Miraghajani, Maryam

doi:10.1017/s136898001900435x

Cited by 260 publications

(249 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Even if these initial financial shocks are reduced over time as schemes come into effect and as more measures are taken, they are still concerning, given the well-researched link between experience of adversities and poor mental health outcomes, poor physical health outcomes and suicides. 18–21 In planning ahead for anticipated upcoming stages in the fallout from the pandemic, such as a possible future recession, this suggests that more steps need to be taken urgently to reduce further adverse effects for individuals of lower SEP before further negative effects occur. 18 Further, in terms of preparedness for future pandemics, these results suggest that even more ambitious measures are required early to reduce immediate financial shocks if efforts are to be made to try to avoid widening economic disparities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Are we all in this together? Longitudinal assessment of cumulative adversities by socioeconomic position in the first 3 weeks of lockdown in the UK

Wright

Steptoe

Fancourt

2020

J Epidemiol Community Health

142

164

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BackgroundDespite media claims that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is uniting societies and countries in shared experience, there has been concern that the pandemic is in fact exposing and widening existing inequalities within societies. Data have shown these differences for cases and fatalities, but data on other types of adversities are lacking. Therefore, this study explored the changing patterns of adversity relating to the COVID-19 pandemic by socioeconomic position (SEP) during the early weeks of lockdown in the UK.MethodsData were from 12 527 UK adults in the University College London COVID-19 Social Study (a panel study that involves online weekly data collection from participants during the COVID-19 pandemic). We analysed data collected from 25 March to 14 April 2020. The sample was well-stratified and weighted to population proportions of gender, age, ethnicity, education and country of living. We used Poisson and logit models to assess 10 different types of adverse experiences depending on an index of SEP over time.ResultsThere was a clear gradient across the number of adverse events experienced each week by SEP. This was most clearly seen for adversities relating to finances (including loss of employment and cut in income) and basic needs (including access to food and medications) but less for experiences directly relating to the virus. Inequalities were maintained with no reductions in discrepancies between socioeconomic groups over time.ConclusionsThere were clear inequalities in adverse experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in the early weeks of lockdown in the UK. Results suggest that measures taken to try to reduce such adverse events did not go far enough in tackling inequality.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…16 This echoes wider literature on the strong relationship between adversities relating to finances, basic needs, and ill-health, and poor mental and physical health outcomes. 18–21…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are we all in this together? Longitudinal assessment of cumulative adversities by socioeconomic position in the first 3 weeks of lockdown in the UK

Wright

Steptoe

Fancourt

2020

J Epidemiol Community Health

142

164

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“…31 41 Food insecurity is known to be associated with mental health challenges including depression and stress. 42 A recent study has suggested that reducing processed food consumption can have psychological benefits. 43 Similarly, reducing soda consumption may also have a central effect on mood and other variables through the effects of caffeine in the drinks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Farming for life: impact of medical prescriptions for fresh vegetables on cardiometabolic health for adults with or at risk of type 2 diabetes in a predominantly Mexican-American population

Kerr

Barua

Glantz

et al. 2020

BMJNPH

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IntroductionPoor diet is the leading cause of poor health in USA, with fresh vegetable consumption below recommended levels. We aimed to assess the impact of medical prescriptions for fresh (defined as picked within 72 hours) vegetables, at no cost to participants on cardiometabolic outcomes among adults (predominantly Mexican-American women) with or at risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D).MethodsBetween February 2019 and March 2020, 159 participants (122 female, 75% of Mexican heritage, 31% with non-insulin treated T2D, age 52.5 (13.2) years) were recruited using community outreach materials in English and Spanish, and received prescriptions for 21 servings/week of fresh vegetable for 10 weeks. Pre-post comparisons were made of weight; waist circumference; blood pressure; Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c, a measure of long-term blood glucose control); self-reported sleep, mood and pain; vegetable, tortilla and soda consumption. After obtaining devices for this study, 66 of 72 participants asked, agreed to wear blinded continuous glucose monitors (CGM).ResultsPaired data were available for 131 participants. Over 3 months, waist circumference fell (−0.77 (95% CI −1.42 to 0.12) cm, p=0.022), as did systolic blood pressure (SBP) (−2.42 (95% CI −4.56 to 0.28) mm Hg, p=0.037), which was greater among individuals with baseline SBP >130 mm Hg (−7.5 (95% CI −12.4 to 2.6) mm Hg, p=0.005). Weight reduced by −0.4 (−0.7 to –0.04) kg, p=0.029 among women. For participants with baseline HbA1c >7.0%, HbA1c fell by −0.35 (-0.8 to –0.1), p=0.009. For participants with paired CGM data (n=40), time in range 70–180 mg/dL improved (from 97.4% to 98.9%, p<0.01). Food insecurity (p<0.001), tortilla (p<0.0001) and soda (p=0.013) consumption significantly decreased. Self-reported sleep, mood and pain level scores also improved (all p<0.01).ConclusionsMedical prescriptions for fresh vegetables were associated with clinically relevant improvements in cardiovascular risk factors and quality of life variables (sleep, mood and pain level) in adults (predominantly Mexican-American and female) with or at risk of T2D.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03940300.

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“…A global analysis of the effects of food insecurity on mental health status found a consistent doseresponse; increasing food insecurity amplified diverse psychosocial stressors that were linked to heightened anxiety (14) . A recent meta-analysis identified that food insecurity has a significant effect on the likelihood of being stressed or depressed (15) . A US study conducted during the pandemic in a convenience sample found that households experiencing food insecurity were 2.09 and 1.88 times more likely to screen positive for anxiety and depression, respectively, than food secure households (16) .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food insecurity measurement and prevalence estimates during the COVID-19 pandemic in a repeated cross-sectional survey in Mexico

Gaitán-Rossi

Vilar‐Compte

Teruel

et al. 2020

Public Health Nutr.

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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 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 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 food insecurity 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 an adequate model fit and food insecurity 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 were a feasible strategy to monitor reductions in food security during the COVID-19 lockdown.

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Food insecurity and mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Cited by 260 publications

References 60 publications

Are we all in this together? Longitudinal assessment of cumulative adversities by socioeconomic position in the first 3 weeks of lockdown in the UK

Are we all in this together? Longitudinal assessment of cumulative adversities by socioeconomic position in the first 3 weeks of lockdown in the UK

Farming for life: impact of medical prescriptions for fresh vegetables on cardiometabolic health for adults with or at risk of type 2 diabetes in a predominantly Mexican-American population

Food insecurity measurement and prevalence estimates during the COVID-19 pandemic in a repeated cross-sectional survey in Mexico

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