PLoS ONE
Volume 7, Issue 12, 2012

Food Insecurity and Children's Mental Health: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study (Article) (Open Access)

Melchior M.* , Chastang J.-F. , Falissard B. , Galéra C. , Tremblay R.E. , Côté S.M. , Boivin M.
  • a INSERM U1018, Centre for research in Epidemiology and Population Health, Epidemiology of occupational and social determinants of health, F-94807, Villejuif, France, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin, UMRS 1018, France
  • b INSERM U1018, Centre for research in Epidemiology and Population Health, Epidemiology of occupational and social determinants of health, F-94807, Villejuif, France, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin, UMRS 1018, France
  • c INSERM U669, Maison de Solenn, Université Paris-Sud and Université Paris-Descartes, 97 Bd du Port Royal, F-75679 Paris, France
  • d Service de Pédopsychiatrie universitaire, Hôpital Charles-Perrens, Université Victor Ségalen Bordeaux 2, Bordeaux, France
  • e INSERM U669, Maison de Solenn, Université Paris-Sud and Université Paris-Descartes, 97 Bd du Port Royal, F-75679 Paris, France, International Laboratory for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Research Group on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada, School of Public Health and Population Science, University College, Dublin, Ireland
  • f INSERM U669, Maison de Solenn, Université Paris-Sud and Université Paris-Descartes, 97 Bd du Port Royal, F-75679 Paris, France, International Laboratory for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Research Group on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
  • g Université Laval, Québec, Canada

Abstract

Food insecurity (which can be defined as inadequate access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets individuals' dietary needs) is concurrently associated with children's psychological difficulties. However, the predictive role of food insecurity with regard to specific types of children's mental health symptoms has not previously been studied. We used data from the Longitudinal Study of Child Development in Québec, LSCDQ, a representative birth cohort study of children born in the Québec region, in Canada, in 1997-1998 (n = 2120). Family food insecurity was ascertained when children were 11/2 and 41/2 years old. Children's mental health symptoms were assessed longitudinally using validated measures of behaviour at ages 41/2, 5, 6 and 8 years. Symptom trajectory groups were estimated to identify children with persistently high levels of depression/anxiety (21.0%), aggression (26.2%), and hyperactivity/inattention (6.0%). The prevalence of food insecurity in the study was 5.9%. In sex-adjusted analyses, children from food-insecure families were disproportionately likely to experience persistent symptoms of depression/anxiety (OR: 1.79, 95% CI 1.15-2.79) and hyperactivity/inattention (OR: 3.06, 95% CI 1.68-5.55). After controlling for immigrant status, family structure, maternal age at child's birth, family income, maternal and paternal education, prenatal tobacco exposure, maternal and paternal depression and negative parenting, only persistent hyperactivity/inattention remained associated with food insecurity (fully adjusted OR: 2.65, 95% CI 1.16-6.06). Family food insecurity predicts high levels of children's mental health symptoms, particularly hyperactivity/inattention. Addressing food insecurity and associated problems in families could help reduce the burden of mental health problems in children and reduce social inequalities in development. © 2012 Melchior et al.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

anxiety prospective study depression hyperactivity educational status longitudinal study birth immigrant Maternal Age poverty Quebec prenatal exposure mental health human attention deficit disorder psychologic assessment validation study Prospective Studies controlled study Food Supply child behavior income school child family Aggression Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity Humans male Canada preschool child female Infant Child, Preschool Risk Factors tobacco child mental health Parent-Child Relations Parenting child health prevalence Article cohort analysis food insecurity child parent relation Nicotiana tabacum Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84871587959&doi=10.1371%2fjournal.pone.0052615&partnerID=40&md5=494174dca52f727346659af054501ec1
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052615
ISSN: 19326203
Cited by: 68
Original Language: English