Mental Health
Associations between food insecurity and mental well-being among US adults: Findings from the 2022-2023 BRFSS Social Determinants module J’Neka Claxton* J’Neka Claxton Claxton Claxton Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Background: Food insecurity (FI)—inconsistent access to adequate food—is linked to psychological distress. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) aims to reduce FI.
Objective: Examine the associations of FI with mental health outcomes, including frequent mental distress (FMD), stress, and depression, and explore the role of SNAP in this relationship.
Method: We analyzed data(n=571,053) from the 2022–2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Social Determinants module. FI was defined as responding Always/Usually/Sometimes to the question of food scarcity resulting from insufficient funds. SNAP participation was defined as receiving food stamps. We used Cox regression with robust variance to estimate prevalence ratios, adjusting for sociodemographic variables (age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, employment status, income, geographic location), household size, and number of chronic conditions.
Results: Overall, 14% of adults reported experiencing FI, of whom 38% received SNAP. Prevalence estimates for FMD, stress, and depression were higher among adults experiencing FI than those who did not and were highest among adults experiencing FI with SNAP participation. After multivariate adjustment, prevalences of FMD, stress, and depression were 1.71, 2.13, and 1.42 times higher, respectively, among adults experiencing FI than food-secure adults. Estimates were similar among adults experiencing FI with and without SNAP participation when compared to food-secure adults with no SNAP participation.
Conclusion: The strong associations between FI and impaired mental health suggest public health programs targeting reducing FI may benefit from incorporating mental health support to help improve mental well-being. SNAP participation may not be enough to mitigate the adverse relationship between FI and mental health outcomes.