Household food insecurity is associated with depressive symptoms in the Canadian adult population

Background: It is essential to identify factors associated with depression as it is a highly prevalent and disabling mental disorder. The aim of this study was to examine the association between depressive symptoms and household food security status among the Canadian adult population. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of the adult population in the five provinces and one territory (Northwest Territories) of Canada using data from the 2015-2016 Canadian Community Health Survey-Annual Component (n=19,118). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Household food insecurity was measured using the Household Food Security Survey Module. A weighted logistic regression analysis with robust variance estimation technique was performed. Results: Approximately 22% of the Canadian adult population reported mild-to-severe depressive symptoms, and 8.3% were from households classified as food insecure. Household food insecurity remained a predictor of mild-to-severe depressive symptoms after adjustment for other known risk factors (ORajd: 2.87, 95% CI: 2.33-3.55, p<0.001). In the multivariable model, significant associations were also found with multimorbidity, lower household income, a history of illicit drug use, being a current smoker, being a widowed/divorced/separated, obesity, and being a non-drinker. Significant interactions also emerged between employment status and age (p=0.03), employment status and gender (p<0.001), and physical activity level and gender (p<0.001). Limitations: The cross-sectional nature of the study does not allow inferring causality. Conclusions: Household food insecurity is associated with depressive symptoms in Canadian adults. Additional longitudinal research is required to further elucidate the nature of this relationship.

Automated summary

The study examined the association between depressive symptoms and household food security status in the Canadian adult population. It found that household food insecurity was a significant predictor of mild-to-severe depressive symptoms, even after adjusting for other known risk factors. In addition to food insecurity, factors such as multimorbidity, lower household income, a history of illicit drug use, smoking, marital status, obesity, and non-drinking were also significantly associated with depressive symptoms.