Food Insecurity as a Social Determinant of Self-Rated Mental Health of Older Adults in Ghana.

Abstract

This study examines the association between food security and the self-rated mental health of a representative sample (n = 1,073) of people 60 years and older in three regions in Ghana. A cross-sectional study design was employed, and data were analyzed using logistic regression techniques. Overall, 27% of the respondents rated their mental health as poor, while 64% reported food insecurity. Results from logistic regression analyses reveal that older people who were food insecure were more likely to rate their mental health as poor compared to those who are food secure, while accounting for theoretically relevant variables informed by the Social Determinants of Health framework (OR = 2.27; p < .001). This finding points to the link between food insecurity and poor mental health among older people in Ghana, drawing attention to food security as an important social determinant of mental health.