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Food Insecurity and Common Mental Disorders among Ethiopian Youth: Structural Equation Modeling

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  • Mulusew G Jebena
  • David Lindstrom
  • Tefera Belachew
  • Craig Hadley
  • Carl Lachat
  • Roos Verstraeten
  • Nathalie De Cock
  • Patrick Kolsteren

Abstract

Background: Although the consequences of food insecurity on physical health and nutritional status of youth living have been reported, its effect on their mental health remains less investigated in developing countries. The aim of this study was to examine the pathways through which food insecurity is associated with poor mental health status among youth living in Ethiopia. Methods: We used data from Jimma Longitudinal Family Survey of Youth (JLFSY) collected in 2009/10. A total of 1,521 youth were included in the analysis. We measured food insecurity using a 5-items scale and common mental disorders using the 20-item Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Structural and generalized equation modeling using maximum likelihood estimation method was used to analyze the data. Results: The prevalence of common mental disorders was 30.8% (95% CI: 28.6, 33.2). Food insecurity was independently associated with common mental disorders (β = 0.323, P

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  • Mulusew G Jebena & David Lindstrom & Tefera Belachew & Craig Hadley & Carl Lachat & Roos Verstraeten & Nathalie De Cock & Patrick Kolsteren, 2016. "Food Insecurity and Common Mental Disorders among Ethiopian Youth: Structural Equation Modeling," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(11), pages 1-20, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0165931
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165931
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    2. Shepherd, Debra L., 2022. "Food insecurity, depressive symptoms, and the salience of gendered family roles during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    3. Nonhlanhla Tlotleng & Nisha Naicker & Angela Mathee & Andrew C. Todd & Palesa Nkomo & Shane A. Norris, 2022. "Association between Bone Lead Concentration and Aggression in Youth from a Sub-Cohort of the Birth to Twenty Cohort," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-14, February.
    4. Divya Rani & Jitendra Kumar Singh & Dilaram Acharya & Rajan Paudel & Kwan Lee & Shri Prakash Singh, 2018. "Household Food Insecurity and Mental Health Among Teenage Girls Living in Urban Slums in Varanasi, India: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-15, July.

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