A new study was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found a 25% increase in malnutrition during COVID-19 pandemic. Lack of food, the most insecure form of food, occurs when families do not have enough food to eat. Among the nationally representative sample of 63,674 adults in the U.S., Black and Latino Americans were more than twice as at risk of malnutrition compared to White Americans.
People of color have a disproportionate effect on both food intake and COVID-19. Many of these people have lost their jobs and higher levels of poverty during the pandemic. “
Jason Nagata, MD, MSc, Principal study author, Associate Professor, Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco
Overall, 65% of Americans reported anxiety symptoms and 52% reported depressive symptoms in the week before completing the survey. Those who did not have enough to eat during that week reported worse mental health, with 89% of Americans without food reporting anxiety symptoms compared with 63% of Americans without food . Similarly, 83% of Americans without food, compared to 49% of inadequate food, reported symptoms of depression.
“Hunger, starvation, and anxiety about not getting enough food can lead to symptoms of depression and anxiety,” Nagata said.
The researchers found that getting free food or snacks reduced some of the mental health burden of food insecurity.
“Policymakers should expand the benefits and eligibility for the Supplemental Nutritional Support Program (SNAP) and other programs to address both food insecurity and mental health,” said Kyle Ganson, PhD, MSW, assistant professor at the University of Toronto, co-author of the study.
Source:
Magazine Reference:
Nagata, JM, et al. (2021) Food Deficiency and Mental Health in the U.S. During the COVID-19 Pandemic. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.12.004.