Gender differences in the association between functional limitation and depressive symptoms: the salience of food insecurity

ABSTRACT

The present study evaluated gender differences in the associations of functional limitation with food insecurity and depressive symptoms. Using data from 3,624 respondents ages 18to 80 years from two pooled cross-sectional cycles (2011–2012 and 2013–2014) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a structural equation model was estimated to assess gender differences in the association between physical limitation and food insecurity, and whether indicators of economic resources mediated an observed interaction. Results demonstrate that food insecurity accounted for about one-tenthof the association between functional limitation and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, these associations were more pronounced among women and were not explained by variation in economic resources. Food insecurity thus appears to be an indicator of psychological adversity among people with functional limitations, especially women, independent of other indicators of economic resources and hardship. Health promotion and social programs should address food insecurity as a unique dimension of adversity in efforts to improve health and well-being.

KEYWORDS:

• Depressive symptoms
• economic resources
• food insecurity
• functional limitation
• gender

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.