{"title":"粮食不安全在收入贫困与抑郁症状和自杀意念之间的关系中的中介作用:一项针对韩国成年人的全国性研究","authors":"Seong-Uk Baek , Jin-Ha Yoon","doi":"10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117972","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Income poverty has been linked to poor mental health. Food insecurity, a consequence of poverty, has been identified as a determinant of mental health. We explored the mediating role of food insecurity in the relationship between income poverty and mental health problems.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study utilized a nationally representative sample of 12,918 adults from the 2019–2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, among whom 3,896 were included in the depressive symptom analysis and 9,022 in the suicidal ideation analysis. Income poverty was defined as having a household income below 50 % of the median. Food insecurity was assessed using the Korean version of the 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module and was dichotomized as the presence of food insecurity if three or more items received affirmative responses. Logistic regression and mediation analyses were conducted, with odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) computed. Models were adjusted for gender, region, education, employment status, marital status, presence of a child, smoking, physical exercise, and alcohol use.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among the sample, the prevalence was 15.1 % for income poverty, 3.8 % for food insecurity, 3.9 % for depressive symptoms, and 3.2 % for suicidal ideation. Poverty was associated with a 1.5 % (95 % CI: 1.3 %–1.6 %) increase in the likelihood of depressive symptoms compared to non-poverty conditions, with food insecurity accounting for 52.7 % (95 % CI: 46.8–58.2 %) of this effect (average causal mediating effect [ACME]: 0.008, 95 % CI: 0.006–0.009). Additionally, income poverty was associated with a 2.0 % (95 % CI: 1.9 %–2.1 %) increase in the likelihood of suicidal ideation compared to non-poverty conditions, with food insecurity accounting for 17.7 % (95 % CI: 15.7–19.8 %) of this effect (ACME: 0.004, 95 % CI: 0.003–0.004).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Food insecurity can mediate a meaningful portion of the relationship between poverty and mental health problems, highlighting the importance of targeted public health to address food access.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49122,"journal":{"name":"Social Science & Medicine","volume":"373 ","pages":"Article 117972"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"The mediating role of food insecurity in the relationship between income poverty and depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation: A nationwide study of Korean adults\",\"authors\":\"Seong-Uk Baek , Jin-Ha Yoon\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117972\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Income poverty has been linked to poor mental health. Food insecurity, a consequence of poverty, has been identified as a determinant of mental health. We explored the mediating role of food insecurity in the relationship between income poverty and mental health problems.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study utilized a nationally representative sample of 12,918 adults from the 2019–2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, among whom 3,896 were included in the depressive symptom analysis and 9,022 in the suicidal ideation analysis. Income poverty was defined as having a household income below 50 % of the median. Food insecurity was assessed using the Korean version of the 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module and was dichotomized as the presence of food insecurity if three or more items received affirmative responses. Logistic regression and mediation analyses were conducted, with odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) computed. Models were adjusted for gender, region, education, employment status, marital status, presence of a child, smoking, physical exercise, and alcohol use.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among the sample, the prevalence was 15.1 % for income poverty, 3.8 % for food insecurity, 3.9 % for depressive symptoms, and 3.2 % for suicidal ideation. Poverty was associated with a 1.5 % (95 % CI: 1.3 %–1.6 %) increase in the likelihood of depressive symptoms compared to non-poverty conditions, with food insecurity accounting for 52.7 % (95 % CI: 46.8–58.2 %) of this effect (average causal mediating effect [ACME]: 0.008, 95 % CI: 0.006–0.009). Additionally, income poverty was associated with a 2.0 % (95 % CI: 1.9 %–2.1 %) increase in the likelihood of suicidal ideation compared to non-poverty conditions, with food insecurity accounting for 17.7 % (95 % CI: 15.7–19.8 %) of this effect (ACME: 0.004, 95 % CI: 0.003–0.004).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Food insecurity can mediate a meaningful portion of the relationship between poverty and mental health problems, highlighting the importance of targeted public health to address food access.</div></div>\",\"PeriodicalId\":49122,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Social Science & Medicine\",\"volume\":\"373 \",\"pages\":\"Article 117972\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":4.9000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-03-18\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Social Science & Medicine\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"3\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953625003028\",\"RegionNum\":2,\"RegionCategory\":\"医学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q1\",\"JCRName\":\"PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Social Science & Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953625003028","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH","Score":null,"Total":0}
The mediating role of food insecurity in the relationship between income poverty and depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation: A nationwide study of Korean adults
Background
Income poverty has been linked to poor mental health. Food insecurity, a consequence of poverty, has been identified as a determinant of mental health. We explored the mediating role of food insecurity in the relationship between income poverty and mental health problems.
Methods
This study utilized a nationally representative sample of 12,918 adults from the 2019–2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, among whom 3,896 were included in the depressive symptom analysis and 9,022 in the suicidal ideation analysis. Income poverty was defined as having a household income below 50 % of the median. Food insecurity was assessed using the Korean version of the 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module and was dichotomized as the presence of food insecurity if three or more items received affirmative responses. Logistic regression and mediation analyses were conducted, with odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) computed. Models were adjusted for gender, region, education, employment status, marital status, presence of a child, smoking, physical exercise, and alcohol use.
Results
Among the sample, the prevalence was 15.1 % for income poverty, 3.8 % for food insecurity, 3.9 % for depressive symptoms, and 3.2 % for suicidal ideation. Poverty was associated with a 1.5 % (95 % CI: 1.3 %–1.6 %) increase in the likelihood of depressive symptoms compared to non-poverty conditions, with food insecurity accounting for 52.7 % (95 % CI: 46.8–58.2 %) of this effect (average causal mediating effect [ACME]: 0.008, 95 % CI: 0.006–0.009). Additionally, income poverty was associated with a 2.0 % (95 % CI: 1.9 %–2.1 %) increase in the likelihood of suicidal ideation compared to non-poverty conditions, with food insecurity accounting for 17.7 % (95 % CI: 15.7–19.8 %) of this effect (ACME: 0.004, 95 % CI: 0.003–0.004).
Conclusion
Food insecurity can mediate a meaningful portion of the relationship between poverty and mental health problems, highlighting the importance of targeted public health to address food access.
期刊介绍:
Social Science & Medicine provides an international and interdisciplinary forum for the dissemination of social science research on health. We publish original research articles (both empirical and theoretical), reviews, position papers and commentaries on health issues, to inform current research, policy and practice in all areas of common interest to social scientists, health practitioners, and policy makers. The journal publishes material relevant to any aspect of health from a wide range of social science disciplines (anthropology, economics, epidemiology, geography, policy, psychology, and sociology), and material relevant to the social sciences from any of the professions concerned with physical and mental health, health care, clinical practice, and health policy and organization. We encourage material which is of general interest to an international readership.