Food Insecurity, Multilevel Coping Strategies, and Depression among Single Female Caregivers: Findings from the...

To investigate relationships among food security status severity, multilevel food insecurity coping strategies, and depression in single female caregivers of children.

A convenience sample of US caregivers (n = 86) with high poverty rates provided cross-sectional survey data in 2022-2023. We used regression to examine associations among key variables.

We documented high rates of food insecurity (76%) and depression (78%). More severe food insecurity was associated with more depressive symptoms (P = 0.004) and greater use of community, interpersonal, and individual food insecurity coping strategies (P < 0.05). Food insecurity severity was unrelated to federal policy-related coping strategy use. Greater use of community, interpersonal, and some individual (shopping, tradeoffs) coping strategies was associated with more depressive symptoms (P < 0.05); policy-level strategy use and individual rationing were not.

Findings recommend targeted interventions addressing intersections of coping with food insecurity and mental health among high-risk groups, particularly during high-risk times (e.g., coronavirus 2019 pandemic).