Food insecurity affects households in varying ways, often placing mothers in the forefront of coping strategies to ensure their families have enough to eat, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Virginia Tech.
Sarah Misyak, Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, along with colleagues, examined the mental health implications for low-income mothers and caregivers facing fluctuating levels of food security within their households.
The study highlighted that mothers experiencing food insecurity, particularly when they themselves go without or must ration food, reported significantly worse mental health outcomes. Increased levels of anxiety and depression were observed compared to mothers in food-secure households.
“Moms in households with any level of food insecurity had to employ more coping strategies and faced higher levels of anxiety and depression,” Misyak explained. This underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions aimed at supporting maternal mental health alongside strategies for managing food resources.
The researchers emphasized the dynamic nature of food security, noting its heightened prevalence during periods like holidays or summer breaks when school meal programs are unavailable. They proposed the development of screening tools to accurately identify which household members are affected by food insecurity, thereby facilitating targeted assistance.
The findings, published in the journal Nutrients, advocate for comprehensive approaches that integrate nutritional education with mental health support to alleviate the dual burdens faced by mothers and caregivers in food-insecure households.
Co-authors of the study include researchers from Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State University, collaborating to deepen understanding and enhance support systems for vulnerable families.
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