Association of food insecurity with psychological disorders: Results of a population-based study among older people in Ghana

Gyasi, Razak M.; Peprah, Prince; Appiah, Divine Odame

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.03.088

Cited by 27 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…These results were consistent with a previous study in New Zealand reporting a strong relationship between food insecurity and psychological distress [36]. Despite that research on food insecurity and psychological distress is limited, our findings are similar to previous studies of adults, documenting associations between food insecurity and other major mental disorders including cognitive function [2,15,17]. Hadley et al [37] observed that food insecurity and stressful life events were independently associated with high symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress among Ethiopian adults.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…Social and economic dynamics have been recognized as important factors in coping with stressful life course circumstances such as hunger and food insecurity [1][2][3]. However, this role has rarely been examined in relation to psychological distress in later life, even though older people are more at risk of moderate-to-severe food insecurity and mental distress [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of food insecurity with hunger on mental distress among community-dwelling older adults

2020

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Background Hunger frequently and persistently occur in older populations in low-income countries especially in sub-Sahara Africa. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between food insecurity with hunger and psychological distress among older people in Ghana. Methods A total of 1200 individuals aged �50 years were recruited during 2016/2017 Ageing, Health, Psychological Well-being and Health-seeking Behavior Study. Associations between psychological distress (assessed with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale) and hunger (assessed with a 30-day subjective scale) were evaluated using linear regression modeling. Results The overall prevalence of food insecurity was 36% with approximately 27% and 9% respectively for moderate and severe levels of hunger whilst the mean score of psychological distress was 9.5 (±4.10). Persons experiencing moderate hunger (β = 0.71, SE = 0.160, p < 0.001) and severe hunger (β = 1.81, SE = 0.280, p < 0.001) significantly reported increased psychological distress outcome compared to those without hunger. These associations varied between women (β = 1.59, SE = 0.359 p < 0.001) and men (β = 2.33, SE = 0.474, p < 0.001) as well as 50-64 age group (β = 1.48, SE = 0.368, p < 0.005) and 65+ age group (β = 2.51, SE = 0.467, p < 0.001). Conclusions The results suggest that experiencing hunger is associated with psychological distress and the effect may be aggravated with advancing age and in men. These findings may inform social policy initiatives and health programmatic interventions for older people exposed to food insecurity.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of food insecurity with hunger on mental distress among community-dwelling older adults

2020

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Section: Narrative Report Of Evidencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Food utilisation was reported in seven studies [ 21 , 29 , 31 , 32 , 60 , 67 , 69 ]; three in the Greater Accra Region [ 29 , 31 , 32 ], one each in Northern [ 60 ], Western [ 21 ] and Brong Ahafo [ 67 ] regions. Authors of one these seven studies [ 69 ] did not indicate in which specific Ghana region the study was conducted. One of these studies (unspecific region) reported that skipping meals was common among the older age groups (50–64 years) compared to young adults or children [ 69 ].…”

Section: Narrative Report Of Evidencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Authors of one these seven studies [ 69 ] did not indicate in which specific Ghana region the study was conducted. One of these studies (unspecific region) reported that skipping meals was common among the older age groups (50–64 years) compared to young adults or children [ 69 ]. In this study, 36% of the elderly were reportedly skipping meals because of lack of food in their households.…”

Section: Narrative Report Of Evidencementioning

confidence: 99%

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Food Security in Ghanaian Urban Cities: A Scoping Review of the Literature

et al. 2021

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Urbanisation in Ghana could be negatively impacting the state of food security, especially in economically vulnerable groups. Food supply, safety, and quality are all aspects of food security which could be impacted. We conducted a scoping literature review to understand the nature and magnitude of evidence available on the urban food security situation in Ghana. A literature search was conducted in Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Global Health, Scopus, Web of Science, Africa Wide Information and Google Scholar to identify relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature. 45 studies, mainly cross-sectional surveys/food samples analysis, met the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies were concentrated in the Greater Accra Region (n = 24). Most studies focused on food safety and quality (n = 31). Studies on supply and stability were, however, scarce. Qualitative research methods were uncommon in the included studies. The existing literature on food security are concentrated in two regions: The Greater Accra and Ashanti regions. Future studies exploring food security in urban Ghana should focus on exploring the lived experiences and perceptions of food insecurity and food stability by urban-dwellers using qualitative methods. The evidence suggesting that the safety/quality of foods sold in Ghanaian markets is poor should be a concern to consumers and policy makers.

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Mobility limitations and emotional dysfunction in old age: The moderating effects of physical activity and social ties

Gyasi,

Asante,

Hambali

et al. 2023

Int J Geriat Psychiatry

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Background: This study aims to examine the association between mobility limitations and emotional dysfunction among older Ghanaians and evaluate the buffering effect of physical activity (PA) and social ties in this association. Methods:The analysis included 1201 adults aged ≥50 from the 2016-17 Aging, Health, Psychological Well-being, and Health-seeking Behavior study. The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36) assessed mobility limitations and emotional dysfunction. We measured PA using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Hierarchical OLS regressions were performed to evaluate the hypothesized direct and interactive relationships. Results:The mean age of the sample was 66.2 (SD = 11.9), and 63.3% were women.After full adjustment for potential confounders, OLS regressions found that mobility limitations increased the risk of emotional dysfunction (β = 0.113, p = 0.004).Moreover, social ties (β = −0.157, p < 0.001) and PA (β = −0.096, p < 0.001) were independently and negatively associated with emotional dysfunction. We finally found a significant effect modification of the association of mobility limitations with emotional dysfunction by PA (β = −0.040, p < 0.002) and social ties (β = −0.013, p = 0.013).This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Association of food insecurity with psychological disorders: Results of a population-based study among older people in Ghana

Cited by 27 publications

References 33 publications

Impact of food insecurity with hunger on mental distress among community-dwelling older adults

Impact of food insecurity with hunger on mental distress among community-dwelling older adults

Food Security in Ghanaian Urban Cities: A Scoping Review of the Literature

Mobility limitations and emotional dysfunction in old age: The moderating effects of physical activity and social ties

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