Dataset Information

Associations of household food insufficiency with childhood depression and anxiety: a nationwide cross-sectional study in the USA.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Household food insufficiency (HFIS) is a major public health threat to children. Children may be particularly vulnerable to HFIS as a psychological stressor due to their rapid growth and accelerated behavioural and cognitive states, whereas data focusing on HFIS and childhood mental disorders are as-yet sparse. We aimed to examine the associations of HFIS with depression and anxiety in US children.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

The 2016-2018 National Survey of Children's Health, a nationally-representative study.

Participants

Primary caregivers of 102 341 children in the USA.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Physician diagnosed depression and anxiety were assessed by questionnaires administered to primary caregivers of 102 341 children. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated adjusted OR (aOR) for current depression or anxiety associated with HFIS measured through a validated single-item instrument.

Results

Among children aged 3-17 years, 3.2% and 7.4% had parent-reported physician-diagnosed current depression and anxiety, respectively. Compared with children without HFIS, children with HFIS had approximately twofold higher weighted prevalence of anxiety or depression. After adjusting for covariates, children with versus without HFIS had a 1.53-fold (95% CI 1.15 to 2.03) and 1.48-fold (95% CI 1.20 to 1.82) increased odds of current depression and anxiety, respectively. Associations were slightly more pronounced among girls (aOR (95% CI): depression 1.69 (1.16 to 2.48); anxiety 1.78 (1.33 to 2.38)) than boys (1.42 (0.98 to 2.08); 1.32 (1.00 to 1.73); both P-for-interaction <0.01). The associations did not vary by children's age or race/ethnicity.

Conclusions

HFIS was independently associated with depression and anxiety among US children. Girls presented slightly greater vulnerability to HFIS in terms of impaired mental health. Children identified as food-insufficient may warrant mental health assessment and possible intervention. Assessment of HFIS among children with impaired mental health is also warranted. Our findings also highlight the importance of promptly addressing HFIS with referral to appropriate resources and inform its potential to alleviate childhood mental health issues.

SUBMITTER: Zheng S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8424875 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundThe aim of this study was to examine the effect of household food security on childhood anemia in Bangladesh while controlling for socioeconomic and demographic factors.MethodsWe used nationally representative Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey (BDHS) 2011 data for this study, the only existing survey including anemia information and household food security. The sample included 2171 children aged 6-59 months and their mothers. Differences between socioeconomic and demographic variables were analyzed using Chi-square test. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the effects of different socioeconomic and demographic factors on childhood anemia. We also performed mediation analysis to examine the direct and indirect effect of household food security on childhood anemia.ResultsIn Bangladesh, 53% male (95% CI: 50-56) and 51% female (95% CI: 47-54) children aged 6-59 months were anemic in 2011. The food insecure households have 1.20 times odds (95% CI: 0.97-1.48) of having anemic children comparing to food secure households in the unadjusted model. On the other hand, anemic mothers have 2 times odds (95% CI: 1.67-2.44) of having anemic children comparing to non-anemic mothers. However, household food security is no longer significantly associated with childhood anemia in the adjusted model while mothers' anemia remained a significant factor (OR 1.87: 95% CI: 1.53-2.29). Age of children is the highest associated factor, and the odds are 4.89 (95% CI: 3.21-7.45) for 6-12 months old children comparing to 49-59 months in the adjusted model. Stunting and household wealth are also a significant factor for childhood anemia. Although food security has no significant direct effect on childhood anemia, maternal anemia and childhood stunting mediated that relationship.ConclusionsFuture public health policies need to focus on improving mothers' health with focusing on household food security to eliminate childhood anemia.

Project description:BackgroundAlexithymia (difficulties in identifying and describing emotion) is a transdiagnostic trait implicated in social-emotional and mental health problems in the general population. Many autistic individuals experience significant social-communication difficulties and elevated anxiety/depression and alexithymia. Nevertheless, the role of alexithymia in explaining individual variability in the quality/severity of social-communication difficulties and/or anxiety and depression symptoms in autism remains poorly understood.MethodsIn total, 337 adolescents and adults (autism N = 179) were assessed for alexithymia on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and for social-communication difficulties, anxiety and depression symptoms. A total of 135 individuals (autism N = 76) were followed up 12-24 months later. We used regression models to establish cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between alexithymia, social-communication difficulties, anxiety and depression symptoms.ResultsAutistic individuals reported significantly higher alexithymia than comparison individuals (p < 0.001, r effect size = 0.48), with 47.3% of autistic females and 21.0% of autistic males meeting cut-off for clinically relevant alexithymia (score ⩾61). Difficulties in describing feelings were particularly associated with current self-reported social-communication difficulties [p < 0.001, β = 0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44-0.67] and predicted later social-communication difficulties (p = 0.02, β = 0.43, 95% CI 0.07-0.82). Difficulties in identifying feelings were particularly associated with current anxiety symptom severity (p < 0.001, β = 0.54, 95% CI 0.41-0.77) and predicted later anxiety (p = 0.01; β = 0.31, 95% CI 0.08-0.62).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that difficulties in identifying v. describing emotion are associated with differential clinical outcomes in autism. Psychological therapies targeting emotional awareness may improve social-communication and anxiety symptoms in autism, potentially conferring long-term benefits.

Project description:The burden of food insecurity is large in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet the evidence-base on the relation between household food insecurity and early child development is extremely limited. Furthermore, available research mostly relies on cross-sectional data, limiting the quality of existing evidence. We use longitudinal data on preschool-aged children and their households in Ghana to investigate how being in a food insecure household was associated with early child development outcomes across three years. Household food insecurity was measured over three years using the Household Hunger Score. Households were first classified as "ever food insecure" if they were food insecure at any round. We also assessed persistence of household food insecurity by classifying households into three categories: (i) never food insecure; (ii) transitory food insecurity, if the household was food insecure only in one wave; and (iii) persistent food insecurity, if the household was food insecure in two or all waves. Child development was assessed across literacy, numeracy, social-emotional, short-term memory, and self-regulation domains. Controlling for baseline values of each respective outcome and child and household characteristics, children from ever food insecure households had lower literacy, numeracy and short-term memory. When we distinguished between transitory and persistent food insecurity, transitory spells of food insecurity predicted decreased numeracy (? = -0.176, 95% CI: -0.317; -0.035), short-term memory (? = -0.237, 95% CI: -0.382; -0.092), and self-regulation (? = -0.154, 95% CI: -0.326; 0.017) compared with children from never food insecure households. By contrast, children residing in persistently food insecure households had lower literacy scores (? = -0.243, 95% CI: -0.496; 0.009). No gender differences were detected. Results were broadly robust to the inclusion of additional controls. This novel evidence from a Sub-Saharan African country highlights the need for multi-sectoral approaches including social protection and nutrition to support early child development.

Project description:PurposeAdherence to the Mediterranean diet has been associated with fewer depressive symptoms, however, it is unknown whether this is attributed to some or to all components. We examined the association between the individual food groups of the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), in isolation and in combination, with depression and anxiety (symptom severity and diagnosis).MethodsData from 1634 adults were available from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety. Eleven energy-adjusted food groups were created from a 238-item food frequency questionnaire. In regression analysis, these were associated in isolation and combination with (1) depressive and anxiety disorders (established with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview) (current disorder n?=?414), and (2) depression and anxiety severity [measured with the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Fear Questionnaire (FEAR)].ResultsOverall, the MDS score shows the strongest relationships with depression/anxiety [Diagnosis: odds ratio (OR) 0.77 per SD, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.66-0.90, IDS: standardised betas (?) -?0.13, 95% CI -?0.18, -?0.08] and anxiety (BAI: ? -?0.11, 95% CI -?0.16, -?0.06, FEAR: ? -?0.08, 95% CI -?0.13, -?0.03). Greater consumption of non-refined grains and vegetables was associated with lower depression and anxiety severity, whilst being a non-drinker was associated with higher symptom severity. Higher fruit and vegetable intake was associated with lower fear severity. Non-refined grain consumption was associated with lower odds and being a non-drinker with greater odds of current depression/anxiety disorders compared to healthy controls, these associations persisted after adjustment for other food groups (OR 0.82 per SD, 95% CI 0.71-0.96, OR 1.26 per SD 95% CI 1.08-1.46).ConclusionWe can conclude that non-refined grains, vegetables and alcohol intake appeared to be the driving variables for the associated the total MDS score and depression/anxiety. However, the combined effect of the whole diet remains important for mental health. It should be explored whether an increase consumption of non-refined grains and vegetables may help to prevent or reduce depression and anxiety.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Maternal mood disorders and their treatment during pregnancy may have effects on the offspring epigenome. We aim to evaluate associations of maternal prenatal antidepressant use, anxiety, and depression with cord blood DNA methylation across the genome at birth and test for persistence of associations in early and mid-childhood blood DNA. METHODS:A discovery phase was conducted in Project Viva, a prospective pre-birth cohort study with external replication in an independent cohort, the Generation R Study. In Project Viva, pregnant women were recruited between 1999 and 2002 in Eastern Massachusetts, USA. In the Generation R Study, pregnant women were recruited between 2002 and 2006 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In Project Viva, 479 infants had data on maternal antidepressant use, anxiety, depression, and cord blood DNA methylation, 120 children had DNA methylation measured in early childhood (~?3?years), and 460 in mid-childhood (~?7?years). In the Generation R Study, 999 infants had data on maternal antidepressants and cord blood DNA methylation. The prenatal antidepressant prescription was obtained from medical records. At-mid pregnancy, symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed with the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Scale and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in Project Viva and with the Brief Symptom Inventory in the Generation R Study. Genome-wide DNA methylation was measured using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip in both cohorts. RESULTS:In Project Viva, 2.9% (14/479) pregnant women were prescribed antidepressants, 9.0% (40/445) experienced high pregnancy-related anxiety, and 8.2% (33/402) reported symptoms consistent with depression. Newborns exposed to antidepressants in pregnancy had 7.2% lower DNA methylation (95% CI, -?10.4, -?4.1; P?=?1.03?×?10-8) at cg22159528 located in the gene body of ZNF575, and this association replicated in the Generation R Study (??=?-?2.5%; 95% CI -?4.2, -?0.7; P?=?0.006). In Project Viva, the association persisted in early (??=?-?6.2%; 95% CI -?10.7, -?1.6) but not mid-childhood. We observed cohort-specific associations for maternal anxiety and depression in Project Viva that did not replicate. CONCLUSIONS:The ZNF575 gene is involved in transcriptional regulation but specific functions are largely unknown. Given the widespread use of antidepressants in pregnancy, as well as the effects of exposure to anxiety and depression, implications of potential fetal epigenetic programming by these risk factors and their impacts on development merit further investigation.