Precious S Dimba, Shamima Saloojee, Vuyokazi Ntlantsana, Sibongile Mashaphu
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Food insecurity is a problem for many people globally. Women and people living with mental illnesses are at a particular risk. There is limited information regarding food insecurity in women living with mental illnesses from South Africa.
Aim: To describe the prevalence of food insecurity, its association with socio-demographic and clinical factors, as well as quality of life (QoL) in women with mental illnesses attending a psychiatric hospital.
Setting: King Dinuzulu Hospital Complex in eThekwini KwaZulu-Natal over a 6-month period.
Methods: A researcher-designed questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and clinical data, while the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and the World Health Organization QoL questionnaire (WHO QOL-BREF) were used to collect data on food insecurity and QoL, respectively.
Results: The 123 participants had a mean age of 50 years (standard deviation [s.d.] ± 13.89), and an overall prevalence of food insecurity of 47.1%. In a bivariate analysis, food insecurity was significantly associated with younger age (p = 0.02), having no monthly household income (p = 0.01), a comorbid psychiatric diagnosis (p = 0.02) and a poorer overall QoL (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Women with mental illnesses had a higher prevalence of food insecurity, with an associated poorer QoL. Additional measures are required to improve food security in this vulnerable group.
Contribution: This study found that women with mental illness had more than twice the prevalence of food insecurity than the general population in KwaZulu-Natal.
期刊介绍:
The journal is the leading psychiatric journal of Africa. It provides open-access scholarly reading for psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and all with an interest in mental health. It carries empirical and conceptual research articles, reviews, editorials, and scientific letters related to psychiatry. It publishes work from various places in the world, and makes special provision for the interests of Africa. It seeks to serve its readership and researchers with the most topical content in psychiatry for clinical practice and academic pursuits, including work in the subspecialty areas of psychiatry.