Food Insecurity and Mental Health among Adolescent Girls in Bangladesh: A Mixed-Methods Study of Depression, Anxiety, and Psychosocial Vulnerability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/ijhs.3321Keywords:
Nutritional Insecurity, Adolescent Mental Health, Vulnerable Populations, Depression, AnxietyAbstract
Purpose: Food insecurity significantly impacts adolescent mental health, particularly in at-risk populations facing poverty and systemic disparities that exacerbate both nutritional insufficiency and psychological stress. This study investigates the correlations between food insecurity and mental health in young girls aged 12 to 18 exhibiting signs of depression, anxiety, and stress. Methodology: A cross-sectional mixed-method study was performed utilizing validated tools (Food Insecurity Experience Scale, PHQ-9, and GAD-7) alongside qualitative narratives from interviews to illustrate lived experiences. The participants consisted of a sample of 350 low-income adolescents from urban and rural areas.
Findings: In multivariate analysis, moderate-to-severe food insecurity was independently correlated with heightened probabilities of depression (OR=2.8, p<0.01) and anxiety (OR=2.3, p<0.05). Qualitative themes corroborated these findings, as participants articulated discomfort stemming from inconsistent food access, stigma, and home instability. The research indicates that food insecurity serves as both a physical developmental impediment and a contributor to psychosocial vulnerabilities, hence heightening the risk of persistent mental health disorders over time.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The implications underscore the significance of the integrated Clinical Care and Friendly Portia Nutrition intervention. The cross-sectional design limits establishing causation, and the sample's representativeness may not extend to broader teenage populations. It is recommended that prospective longitudinal research in diverse settings offer direction for policy and focused treatments.
Downloads
References
Cook, J. T., Black, M., Chilton, M., Cutts, D., Ettinger de Cuba, S., Heeren, T. C., Casey, P. H., Coleman, S., Rose-Jacobs, R., & Frank, D. A. (2013). Food insecurity is associated with adverse health outcomes among U.S. children. Journal of Nutrition, 143(10), 1786–1793.
FAO. (2023). The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023: Urbanization, Agrifood Systems Transformation, and Healthy Diets Across the Rural–Urban Continuum. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Frongillo, E. A., Nguyen, H. T., Smith, M. D., & Coleman-Jensen, A. (2019). Gender and household food insecurity: A global perspective. Public Health Nutrition, 22(5), 853–860.
Leung, C. W., Wolfson, J. A., Lahne, J., Barry, M. R., Kasper, N., & Cohen, A. J. (2020). Food insecurity and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Health Psychology, 25(11), 1521–1532.
McLaughlin, K. A., Green, J. G., Alegría, M., Costello, E. J., Gruber, M. J., Sampson, N. A., & Kessler, R. C. (2012). Food insecurity and mental disorders in a national sample of U.S. adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(12), 1293–1303.
Nagata, J. M., Palar, K., Gooding, H. C., Garber, A. K., Tabler, J. L., & Bibbins-Domingo, K. (2021). Food insecurity and mental health among adolescent girls in India: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 21, 1375.
Poole-Di Salvo, E., Silver, E. J., & Stein, R. E. K. (2016). Household food insecurity and mental health problems among adolescents: What do parents report? Academic Pediatrics, 16(1), 90–96.
Rahman, M. A., Rahman, M. M., & Gilmour, S. (2018). Gender differences in food insecurity and mental health among adolescents in Bangladesh. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 53(5), 509–519.
Sawyer, S. M., Azzopardi, P. S., Wickremarathne, D., & Patton, G. C. (2018). The age of adolescence. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 2(3), 223–228.
UNICEF. (2022). The State of the World’s Children 2022: Children in a Digital World. New York: United Nations Children’s Fund.
Whitaker, R. C., Phillips, S. M., & Orzol, S. M. (2006). Food insecurity and the risks of depression and anxiety in mothers and children. Pediatrics, 118(3), e859–e868.
WHO. (2023). Mental Health Status of Adolescents in South-East Asia: A Regional Report. New Delhi: World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Saiful Islam Robin, Fakhrul Abedin Tanvir
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
