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Household Food Insecurity and Mental Health Among Teenage Girls Living in Urban Slums in Varanasi, India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Author

Listed:
  • Divya Rani

    (Department of Community Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
    Authors contributed equally as joint first author.)

  • Jitendra Kumar Singh

    (Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, Janaki Medical College, Tribhuvan University, Janakpur 44618, Nepal
    Authors contributed equally as joint first author.)

  • Dilaram Acharya

    (Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Gyeongju 04620, Korea
    Department of Community Medicine, Kathmandu University, Devdaha. Medical College and Research Institute, Rupandehi 32907, Nepal
    Authors contributed equally as joint first author.)

  • Rajan Paudel

    (Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
    Health Foundation Nepal (HFN), Kathmandu 44600, Nepal)

  • Kwan Lee

    (Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Gyeongju 04620, Korea)

  • Shri Prakash Singh

    (Department of Community Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India)

Abstract

This study was undertaken to investigate the relation between household food insecurity and mental health problems in teenage girls living in urban slums. This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 5 urban slums in Varanasi, India, between September 2016 and July 2017. A probability proportion to size (PPS) method was employed to select 5 of 210 urban slums at a first stage, and in the second stage, 418 teenage girls were chosen randomly from selected households. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and mental health inventory tools were employed to assess food insecurity and mental health status. Multivariable logistic regression analysis with at a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to assess the association between household food insecurity and mental health status. Of 418 respondents, 47.6% were food insecure; 64.1%, 57.7%, and 58.4% had high levels of anxiety, depression, or psychological distress, respectively; and 57.2% exhibited a medium level of loss of behavioral control. Furthermore, teenage girls from food insecure households were more likely to have high levels of anxiety, depression, loss of behavioral control and psychological distress than those living in food secure households. This study shows food insecurity is independently associated with mental health problems among teenage girls. Food insecurity in Indian slums should be addressed by specific public health intervention programs that provide access to sufficient safe, nutritious food.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:8:p:1585-:d:160098
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Siddharth Agarwal & Vani Sethi & Palak Gupta & Meenakshi Jha & Ayushi Agnihotri & Mark Nord, 2009. "Experiential household food insecurity in an urban underserved slum of North India," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 1(3), pages 239-250, September.
    2. repec:mpr:mprres:5077 is not listed on IDEAS
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    4. 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.
    5. Carter, Kristie N. & Kruse, Kerri & Blakely, Tony & Collings, Sunny, 2011. "The association of food security with psychological distress in New Zealand and any gender differences," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(9), pages 1463-1471, May.
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