Mental health, water, and food: Relationships between water and food insecurity and probable depression amongst adults in Mexico

Indira Bose*, Hilary J. Bethancourt, Teresa Shamah-Levy, Verónica Mundo-Rosas, Alicia Muñoz-Espinosa, Talia Ginsberg, Suneetha Kadiyala, Edward A. Frongillo, Pablo Gaitán-Rossi, Sera L. Young

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background: Water and food insecurity often co-occur, and have independently been identified as potential risk factors for poor mental health. Their interlinkages are only just beginning to be explored; even less is known about how the relationships vary by gender. Understanding the independent associations of water and food insecurity with mental health, as well as their joint effects, can help identify which interventions might be most appropriate for improving health. Methods: We explored how probable depression covaried with water and food insecurity using nationally representative data from the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2021 (ENSANUT 2021, n = 13,126). Cross-sectional data were collected on household water, food insecurity, and probable depression amongst adults. We used multivariable logistic regression models to examine the association of water insecurity and food insecurity with moderate-to-severe probable depression, and we stratified the models by sex. Results: Household water insecurity was associated with higher odds of probable depression amongst women (1.37 OR, CI: 1.13–1.66) and men (1.30 OR, CI: 0.92–1.83). When controlling for household food insecurity, the association between probable depression and water insecurity was no longer important, however, household food insecurity was associated with higher odds of probable depression. Those experiencing joint water and food insecurity had the highest odds of probable depression (2.70 OR, CI: 2.13–3.40). The associations between water insecurity, food insecurity and mental health did not differ by sex. Conclusion: Concurrent water and food insecurity increase the likelihood of probable depression amongst both men and women. Strategies to mitigate both resource insecurities could improve mental health.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)348-355
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Affective Disorders
Volume370
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2025

Funding

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the US National Institutes of Health (R03 MH133200), the Leverhulme Trust Visiting Professorship, and the Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (IMMANA) program is funded by UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) grant number 300654 and by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation INV-002962/OPP1211308. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) also provided support through the UBEL (UCL, Bloomsbury and East London) Doctoral Training Partnership. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funders. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the US National Institutes of Health ( R03 MH133200 ), the Leverhulme Trust Visiting Professorship , and the Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (IMMANA) program, which was co-funded by UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) grant number 300654 and by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation INV-002962/OPP1211308 . The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) also provided support through the UBEL (UCL, Bloomsbury and East London) Doctoral Training Partnership. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funders.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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