title: Food Insecurity and Risk of Depression Among Refugees and Immigrants in South Africa.
abstract: South Africa's refugee population has grown considerably over the last decade. Both food insecurity and mental illness are common in developing countries, but this relationship remains unexamined in an African refugee population. 335 adult refugees in Durban, South Africa were interviewed using a self-report of food insecurity and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25. The proportion of those who responded 'often true' to not having enough food and eating less was 23.1 and 54.3 %, respectively. The proportion of individuals with a significant level of anxiety and depressive symptomatology was 49.4 and 54.6 %, respectively. The adjusted logistic regression indicated that not eating enough was significantly associated with anxiety (aOR = 4.52, 95 % CI: 2.09-9.80) and depression (aOR = 4.51, 95 % CI: 2.01-10.09). Similarly, eating less was significantly associated with anxiety (aOR = 2.88, 95 % CI: 1.56-5.31) and depression (aOR = 2.88, 95 % CI: 1.54-5.39). The high prevalence of food insecurity, and its relationship to mental illness, highlight the importance of addressing basic needs among this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag 7, Congella, Durban, 4013, South Africa. allopi@webmail.co.za.
authors.forename: Varsha
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maharaj
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY, USA.|Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P.O. Box 198, Mtubatuba, Durban, 3935, South Africa.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag 7, Congella, Durban, 4013, South Africa.
authors.forename: Lindokuhle
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thela
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag 7, Congella, Durban, 4013, South Africa.
authors.forename: Mpho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mhlongo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag 7, Congella, Durban, 4013, South Africa.
authors.forename: Jonathan K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Burns
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000208:ethnology*; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D035503:Sociobiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Food security; Refugees; South Africa