The association between COVID-19 related food insecurity and weight promoting eating behaviours: The mediating role of distress and eating to cope

Food insecurity (a lack of stable access to nutritious food) is reliably associated with higher BMI, although the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Past research indicates that this relationship may, in part, be explained by the distress of being food insecure and using food as a coping mechanism. While previous work has focused on long-term food insecurity, the first COVID-19 national lockdown presented a unique opportunity to establish if the same relationships existed for individuals experiencing pandemic related food insecurity. Adults in the United Kingdom (N = 211) were recruited three months after the first UK lockdown via social media. They completed questionnaires on COVID-19 related food insecurity, physical stress, psychological distress, eating to cope, drinking to cope, diet quality, and changes in weight promoting eating behaviours (e.g. consuming larger portions, increased snacking) since the start of the lockdown. A structural equation model revealed that food insecurity was indirectly associated with changes in weight promoting eating behaviours. As predicted, the more instances of pandemic related food insecurity, the more distress individuals reported. Distress was then associated with eating as a way of coping, which in turn was associated with increases in weight promoting eating behaviours. Food insecurity was also indirectly associated with diet quality, but this was via distress only. These results reflect similar pathways observed in individuals reporting chronic food insecurity and strengthens the evidence that distress and eating to cope are generic mediators of food insecurity and eating behaviour.

Automated summary

Food insecurity is associated with higher BMI, likely due to distress and using food as coping mechanism. A study on adults in the UK during the first COVID-19 lockdown found that pandemic-related food insecurity indirectly influenced changes in weight promoting eating behaviors. Food insecurity was associated with distress, which in turn was associated with eating as a way of coping and increases in weight promoting eating behaviors. Food insecurity also indirectly influenced diet quality through distress. These findings strengthen the evidence that distress and eating to cope are generic mediators of food insecurity and eating behavior.