Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Jun 6;19(6):e0303345.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303345. eCollection 2024.

Depressive symptoms among adults is associated with decreased food security

Shakila Meshkat  1 , Hilary Pang  2 , Vanessa K Tassone  1   3 , Reinhard Janssen-Aguilar  1 , Michelle Wu  4 , Hyejung Jung  4 , Wendy Lou  4 , Venkat Bhat  1   2   3   5
Affiliations

Depressive symptoms among adults is associated with decreased food security

Shakila Meshkat et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Objective: We aim to evaluate the association of depressive symptoms, depressive symptoms severity and symptom cluster scores (i.e., cognitive-affective and somatic) with food security (FS). We will also evaluate the interaction effect of sex, income and ethnicity on these associations.

Methods: Data from the 2005-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cycles were used in this study. Participants included survey respondents 20+ years who had completed Depression and Food Security questionnaires. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the associations between depressive symptoms and FS.

Results: A total of 34,128 participants, including 3,021 (7.73%) with depressive symptoms, were included in this study. In both unadjusted and adjusted models, participants with depressive symptoms had lower odds of FS (aOR = 0.347, 95% CI: 0.307,0.391, p<0.001). Moreover, in both unadjusted and adjusted models, for each 1-point increase in cognitive-affective (aOR = 0.850, 95% CI = 0.836,0.864, p <0.001) and somatic symptoms (aOR = 0.847, 95% CI = 0.831,0.863, p <0.001), odds of high FS decreased correspondingly. Our study found no significant interaction effects of sex on depressive symptoms-FS association. Statistically significant interactions of ethnicity and poverty-to-income ratio on depressive symptoms-FS association were observed, revealing higher odds of FS among Non-Hispanic Black and Mexican American groups, and lower odds of FS in Non-Hispanic White and high-income subgroups.

Conclusion: Our study demonstrated an association between depressive symptoms and decreased FS. Further research is required to deepen our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and to develop focused interventions.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

I have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: VB is supported by an Academic Scholar Award from the University of Toronto Department of Psychiatry and has received research support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Brain & Behavior Foundation, Ontario Ministry of Health Innovation Funds, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Department of National Defence (Government of Canada), New Frontiers in Research Fund, Associated Medical Services Inc. Healthcare, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Roche Canada, Novartis, and Eisai.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Participant inclusion flowchart.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Brody D.J., Pratt L.A., Hughes J.P. Prevalence of Depression among Adults Aged 20 and Over: United States, 2013–2016. NCHS Data Brief. 2018;303:1–8. - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. American Psychiatric Association; Washington, DC, USA: 2020.
    1. Leung C.W., Epel E.S., Willett W.C., Rimm E.B., Laraia B.A. Household food insecurity is positively associated with depression among low-income Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants and income-eligible nonparticipants. J. Nutr. 2015;145:622–627. doi: 10.3945/jn.114.199414 - DOI - PubMed
    1. de Jonge P, Mangano D, Whooley MA. Differential Association of Cognitive and Somatic Depressive Symptoms With Heart Rate Variability in Patients With Stable Coronary Heart Disease: Findings From the Heart and Soul Study. Psychosom Med. 2007;69(8):735–739. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e31815743ca - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Reeder N, Tolar-Peterson T, Bailey RH, Cheng WH, Evans MW Jr. Food Insecurity and Depression among US Adults: NHANES 2005–2016. Nutrients. 2022;14(15):3081. doi: 10.3390/nu14153081 - DOI - PMC - PubMed