Household food insecurity and breakfast skipping: Their association with depressive symptoms

Household food insecurity limits families' access to sufficient and varied safe foods, which may result in problems such as insufficient food intake and nutritional imbalance. This may lead to health issues such as obesity, chronic illness, mental health problems, and even poor quality of life. Breakfast skipping is a risk factor for eating disorders which is related to diseases such as metabolic disorder and depressive symptoms. This study examined household food insecurity and breakfast skipping and their association with depressive symptoms. In this study, we used data from the 2015 Korean Community Health Survey. Study participants were a total of 225,965 people aged 18 years or older who answered questions related to eating habits. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with depressive symptoms. Those in households with low food security and very low food security were more likely to experience depressive symptoms. Individuals that skip breakfast 2 days or more per week were more likely to experience depressive symptoms. Our study suggests that those living in households with lower food security and who skip breakfast often should pay more attention to their mental health.