Evans Rebecca, Christiansen Paul, Bateson Melissa, Nettle Daniel, Keenan Gregory S, Hardman Charlotte A
Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, L69 7ZA, UK.
Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, L69 7ZA, UK.
Appetite. 2025 Aug 1;212:108007. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2025.108007. Epub 2025 Apr 12.
Household food insecurity - a lack of reliable access to food that is safe, nutritious, and sufficient for normal growth - is associated with physical and mental ill-health. In the UK and many countries worldwide, food insecurity has been exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis and is a major public health concern. To identify potential points of intervention, it is important to understand how food insecurity is associated with individual-level factors, including behaviours and motivations towards food. This study therefore examined the associations between household food insecurity (HHFI), psychological distress, motives underlying food choices and meal patterning behaviours in a sample of UK adults (N = 594, mean age = 40.6 years, 96 % female). Key variables were quantified using questionnaires and structural equation modelling was used to determine the associations between them. HHFI was directly associated with higher food choice motives based on price, but not directly with other food choice motives. HHFI was indirectly associated with poorer diet quality via price motives. There were also significant serial indirect associations between HHFI and diet quality via distress and food choice motives. Specifically, HHFI was associated with greater distress, which in turn was associated with higher convenience motives and lower health motives, which were then both associated with poorer diet quality. Exploratory analyses indicated that HHFI was directly associated with lower meal frequency, and this in turn was associated with poorer diet quality. Findings demonstrate how experiences of general psychological distress, certain food choice motives, and meal frequency may play a role in the relationship between food insecurity and diet quality.
家庭粮食不安全——缺乏可靠的途径获取安全、营养且足以满足正常生长需求的食物——与身心健康不良相关。在英国和全球许多国家，生活成本危机加剧了粮食不安全状况，这是一个重大的公共卫生问题。为了确定潜在的干预点，了解粮食不安全如何与个体层面的因素相关联很重要，这些因素包括对食物的行为和动机。因此，本研究调查了英国成年人样本（N = 594，平均年龄 = 40.6岁，96%为女性）中家庭粮食不安全（HHFI）、心理困扰、食物选择动机和用餐模式行为之间的关联。关键变量通过问卷进行量化，并使用结构方程模型来确定它们之间的关联。HHFI与基于价格的更高食物选择动机直接相关，但与其他食物选择动机无直接关联。HHFI通过价格动机与较差的饮食质量间接相关。HHFI与饮食质量之间还存在通过困扰和食物选择动机的显著系列间接关联。具体而言，HHFI与更大的困扰相关，而困扰又与更高的便利动机和更低的健康动机相关，这两者进而都与较差的饮食质量相关。探索性分析表明，HHFI与更低的用餐频率直接相关，而这反过来又与较差的饮食质量相关。研究结果表明，一般心理困扰、某些食物选择动机和用餐频率的经历可能在粮食不安全与饮食质量之间的关系中发挥作用。
