Sabrina E. Cuauro

Background/Objectives: A growing body of literature has demonstrated that living with food insecurity (FI) increases risk for mental health concerns in addition to nutritional deficits (e.g., suboptimal micronutrient consumption, excessive macronutrient consumption, malnutrition). Yet, research is needed to improve our understanding of subpopulations potentially at increased risk for mental health concerns when living in the context of FI. The current study examined psychosocial health across women of different developmental life stages all living with FI. Methods: Female clients of a large, urban food bank (N = 680) living with FI completed measures of mental health and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a cross-sectional design conducted on site at the food bank. Results: Consistent with past research, FI severity was correlated with poorer psychosocial health across all variables. A multivariate analysis of covariance compared women living with FI across 4 developmental life stages (young adult, early midlife, late midlife, and older adult; age range = 18–94 years), controlling for FI severity and race/ethnicity, on outcomes related to mental health and HRQOL. Women in early and late midlife reported higher anxiety, eating disorder symptoms, and eating-related psychosocial impairment than younger and older women. Conclusions: The mental health toll of living with FI is profound; midlife may comprise a developmental period of increased vulnerability to experience this mental health burden of living with FI for women. Thus, efforts are needed to develop innovative pathways for interventions to support the mental health of midlife women living with FI, likely involving multi-level and/or multicomponent approaches to resource access.

Background/Objectives: Evidence suggests that food insecurity (FI) is a risk factor for eating disorder (ED) symptoms, especially binge eating (BE), yet research focusing on the psychosocial effects among midlife/older women is lacking. Midlife/older women living with FI experience intersectional disadvantage, thus highlighting the need for an independent investigation of the cultural and contextual factors of this population. The current study examined the difference in psychological health and quality of life (QOL) among women living with BE and FI (BE + FI) versus FI without BE. Method: Female clients of a food bank, aged 50+ (N = 295; M age = 62.1 years, SD = 8.2) living with FI completed measures of BE and psychosocial comorbidities. The measures were provided in English and Spanish. Results: A multivariate analysis of covariance compared women living with BE and FI (BE + FI) versus FI without BE on outcomes related to mental health and wellbeing. Covarying for age, FI severity, and ethnicity, the results indicated that women living with BE + FI reported worsened anxiety, depression, ED-related psychosocial impairment, internalized weight stigma, and QOL versus women living with FI without BE (all ps < 0.001). Effect sizes ranged from small to medium to large. Conclusions: Midlife/older women living with BE + FI report poorer psychological health and QOL than those living with FI without BE, demonstrating a critical need for mental healthcare in this population. Innovative solutions—and likely a portfolio of interventional approaches with various entry points and delivery modalities—are warranted, if we are to make significant strides in addressing ED symptoms in this population.

Research suggests that experiencing weight discrimination is associated with a lower quality of life and poor psychological and physical health. However, much of the existing weight discrimination literature has neglected under-represented groups. Little is known about how the experience of weight discrimination affects quality of life and eating/weight-related psychosocial impairment in those living with food insecurity. The present study investigated the associations of weight discrimination and eating/weight-related psychosocial impairment and quality of life. We examined internalized weight stigma and several psychological indicators as potential mediators. Participants (N = 1085) who were recruited from a local food bank completed a questionnaire assessing food insecurity, weight discrimination, internalized weight stigma, eating disorder pathology, anxiety, depression, eating/weight-related psychosocial impairment, and quality of life. Overall, almost one in four participants reported experiencing weight discrimination. Our serial mediation models indicated that increased experiences of weight discrimination were associated with greater internalized weight stigma and psychopathology, which were in turn associated with lower quality of life and greater eating/weight-related psychosocial impairment. Thus, experiencing weight discrimination may negatively impact quality of life and eating/weight-related psychosocial impairment through its effect on mental health. It is imperative to address the negative effects of the widespread discrimination of people based on their weight.