Examination of Food Insecurity, Socio-Demographic, Psychosocial, and Physical Factors among Residents in Public Housing

Abstract

Objectives: Understanding associations between psychosocial and physical factors among those who experience food insecu­rity could help design effective food insecu­rity programs for improved cardiovascular health among low-income populations. We examined differences in psychosocial and physical factors between those who were food secure compared with food insecure among public housing residents.Methods: Data were from the baseline survey of a randomized controlled trial of a weight management intervention in Boston,  Massachusetts from 2016-2017. Food insecurity and psychosocial and physical factors, including perceived stress, personal problems, social support, and physical symptoms, were measured via interviewer-administered screeners.Results: Mean age of the sample (N=102) was 46.5 years (SD=11.9). The majority were Hispanic (67%), female (88%), with ≤high school degree (62%). Nearly half were food insecure (48%). For psychosocial vari­ables, those who were food insecure had higher ratings of perceived stress (adjusted mean difference 3.39, 95% CI:2.00,4.79), a higher number of personal problems (ad­justed mean difference 1.85, 95% CI: 1.19, 2.51), and lower social support (adjusted mean difference -0.70, 95% CI:-1.30,-0.11) compared with those who were food se­cure. For physical variables, those who were food insecure had higher odds of reporting negative physical symptoms (aOR 4.92, 95% CI:1.84,13.16).Conclusion: Among this sample of public housing residents, food insecurity was as­sociated with higher stress, more personal problems, higher experiences of physical symptoms, and lower social support. Ethn Dis. 2021;31(1):159-164; doi:10.18865/ed.31.1.159