Food insecurity and coping strategies associate with higher risk of anxiety and depression among South African households with children.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate food insecurity and related coping strategies, and their associations with the risk of anxiety and depression, among South African households with children.

DESIGN: Nationally representative cross-sectional study. Tools for assessing food insecurity, coping strategies, risk of anxiety and depression were assessed from the Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project, Coping Strategies Index, General Anxiety Disorder-7, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9, respectively. We used ordered logistic regression to test associations of food insecurity and coping strategies with the risk of anxiety and depression. Moderating effects of each coping strategy were tested in the associations of food insecurity with anxiety and depression.

SETTING: South Africa, post COVID-19 restrictions, May-June 2022.

PARTICIPANTS: 1,774 adults, weighted to 20,955,234 households.

RESULTS: Food insecurity prevalence was 23.7% among households with children. All coping strategies were used to some extent, but relying on less preferred and less expensive foods was the most used strategy (85.5% of food insecure households). Moving to a higher level of food insecurity was associated with >1.6 greater odds of being in a higher risk of anxiety and depression. Sending a household member to beg for food was the strongest associated factor (ORs=1.7, P<0.001). All coping strategies partly moderated (lessened) the associations of food insecurity with a higher risk of anxiety and depression.

CONCLUSIONS: Food insecurity among households with children was high following the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaborative efforts between government, private sector and civil society to eradicate food insecurity should prioritise poorer households with children, as these populations are the most vulnerable.