Food Insecurity and Loneliness in the Former Soviet Countries

To examine the association between food insecurity (FI) and loneliness in countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU).

Data were analysed from 15,568 adults in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine, collected in the Health in Times of Transition (HITT) survey in 2010-2011. Information was obtained on both FI and loneliness with single-item measures. Logistic regression was used to examine associations.

In a fully adjusted analysis, moderate (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.16-1.57) and severe FI (OR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.58-2.38) were associated with significantly higher odds of loneliness in the pooled sample. In sex- and age-stratified analyses, severe FI was associated with loneliness in all population subgroups, with odds ratios ranging from 1.69 to 1.99. However, moderate FI was linked to loneliness in only three of the five subgroups. In further analyses, FI was associated with loneliness in six of the nine countries.

FI is associated with loneliness in FSU countries. Efforts to increase food security in these countries may be important for improving physical and psychological well-being among adults in the general population.