Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
J Adolesc Health. 2019 Dec;65(6):805-811. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.08.010. Epub 2019 Oct 4.
The aim of the study was to determine the association between food insecurity, mental health, and sleep outcomes among young adults. Young adulthood represents an important developmental period when educational and economic transitions may increase the risk for food insecurity; however, little is known about associations between food insecurity and health outcomes in this period.
Cross-sectional nationally representative data of U.S. young adults aged 24-32 years from Wave IV (2008) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were analyzed in 2018. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted with food insecurity as the independent variable and self-reported mental health (depression, anxiety, and suicidality) and sleep (trouble falling and staying asleep) outcomes as the dependent variables.
Of the 14,786 young adults in the sample, 11% were food insecure. Food-insecure young adults had greater odds of mental health problems including a depression diagnosis (1.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.39-2.01), anxiety or panic disorder diagnosis (1.47, 95% CI 1.16-1.87), and suicidal ideation in the past 12 months (2.76, 95% CI 2.14-3.55). Food insecurity was also associated with poorer sleep outcomes including trouble falling (adjusted odds ratio 1.78, 95% CI 1.52-2.08) and staying (adjusted odds ratio 1.67, 95% CI 1.42-1.97) asleep.
Food insecurity is associated with poorer mental and sleep health in young adulthood. Health care providers should screen for food insecurity in young adults and provide referrals when appropriate. Future research should test interventions to simultaneously combat food insecurity and mental health problems in young adulthood.
本研究旨在确定食物不安全、心理健康和睡眠结果之间的关系在年轻人中。青年期是一个重要的发展时期，在此期间，教育和经济转型可能会增加食物不安全的风险；然而，在此期间，人们对食物不安全与健康结果之间的关系知之甚少。
对 2018 年来自青少年到成人健康纵向研究第四波（2008 年）的美国 24-32 岁年轻成年人的全国代表性横断面数据进行了分析。使用多变量逻辑回归分析，以食物不安全为自变量，以自我报告的心理健康（抑郁、焦虑和自杀意念）和睡眠（入睡和保持睡眠困难）结果为因变量。
在样本中的 14786 名年轻人中，有 11%的人食物不安全。与食物安全的年轻人相比，有心理健康问题的可能性更大，包括抑郁诊断（1.67，95%置信区间[CI]1.39-2.01）、焦虑或恐慌症诊断（1.47，95%CI1.16-1.87）和过去 12 个月的自杀意念（2.76，95%CI2.14-3.55）。食物不安全也与较差的睡眠结果相关，包括入睡困难（调整后的优势比 1.78，95%CI1.52-2.08）和保持睡眠（调整后的优势比 1.67，95%CI1.42-1.97）。
食物不安全与年轻人的心理健康和睡眠健康较差有关。医疗保健提供者应在年轻人中筛查食物不安全，并在适当情况下提供转介。未来的研究应该测试同时解决年轻人食物不安全和心理健康问题的干预措施。
