Food Insecurity and Psychological Distress in Inuit Adolescents of Nunavik

Overview

Journal Public Health Nutr

Publisher Cambridge University Press

Date 2020 May 28

PMID 32456742

Citations 16

Authors

Maude Bradette-Laplante

Yohann Courtemanche

Mireille Desrochers-Couture

Nadine Forget-Dubois

Richard E Belanger

Pierre Ayotte

Joseph L Jacobson

Sandra W Jacobson

Gina Muckle

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: The present study aims at measuring the association between household food insecurity and psychological distress in adolescents in Inuit communities, concurrently and overtime from childhood to adolescence.

Design: The study used measures of internalising behaviours (anxiety, withdrawn attitude, somatic complaints and depression) as indicators of psychological distress during adolescence, a concurrent measure of household food insecurity in adolescence and an assessment of longitudinal patterns of household food insecurity from childhood to adolescence. We collected descriptive information at birth, childhood and adolescence on potential confounders.

Setting: Inuit communities of Nunavik in northern Quebec, Canada.

Participants: The study consisted of 212 participants from the Nunavik Child Development Study, who have been assessed at birth, childhood (mean age = 11 years, range = 9-13 years) and adolescence (mean age = 18 years, range = 16-21 years).

Results: Concurrent severe household food insecurity in adolescence was associated with higher measures of psychological distress: depression (βstd = 0·26, P < 0·01) and withdrawn attitude (βstd = 0·20, P = 0·04). Persistent household food insecurity (both at childhood and adolescence) was associated with higher levels of adolescent depression (βstd = 0·18, P = 0·02) and anxiety (βstd = 0·17, P = 0·03).

Conclusions: Adolescents from Nunavik living with higher food insecurity and those having experienced food insecurity in both childhood and adolescence were more likely to report symptoms of psychological distress. Considering the high level of distress experienced by young Inuit, existing initiatives to reduce food insecurity in Nunavik communities should be targeted to include children and adolescents.

Citing Articles

A Nunavut community-directed Inuit youth mental wellness initiative: making I-SPARX fly.

Bohr Y, Hankey J, Thomas A, Abdelmaseh M, Armour L, McCague H Int J Circumpolar Health. 2024; 83(1):2401210.

PMID: 39388613 PMC: 11468022. DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2024.2401210.

Focusing attention on the important association between food insecurity and psychological distress: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Jandaghian-Bidgoli M, Kazemian E, Shaterian N, Abdi F BMC Nutr. 2024; 10(1):118.

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Examining ADHD and Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome Symptoms in Relation to Food Insecurity in Early Adolescents.

Green C, Martinez A, Becker S Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol. 2024; 52(11):1649-1661.

PMID: 38967900 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-024-01226-5.

Solidarity through food: Coping with food insecurity among adolescent migrants in transit through Mexico and Central America.

Bojorquez I, Infante C, Villanueva-Borbolla M, Orjuela-Grimm M Appetite. 2024; 200:107549.

PMID: 38862079 PMC: 11227384. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107549.

Food insecurity and academic performance in Spanish adolescents: Results from the EHDLA study.

de Camargo E, Chen S, Jimenez-Lopez E, Victoria-Montesinos D, Smith L, Lopez-Gil J Heliyon. 2024; 10(8):e29489.

PMID: 38681539 PMC: 11053195. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29489.

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