title: Food Insecurity and Common Mental Disorders among Ethiopian Youth: Structural Equation Modeling.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although the consequences of food insecurity on physical health and nutritional status of youth living have been reported, its effect on their mental health remains less investigated in developing countries. The aim of this study was to examine the pathways through which food insecurity is associated with poor mental health status among youth living in Ethiopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from Jimma Longitudinal Family Survey of Youth (JLFSY) collected in 2009/10. A total of 1,521 youth were included in the analysis. We measured food insecurity using a 5-items scale and common mental disorders using the 20-item Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Structural and generalized equation modeling using maximum likelihood estimation method was used to analyze the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of common mental disorders was 30.8% (95% CI: 28.6, 33.2). Food insecurity was independently associated with common mental disorders (β = 0.323, P<0.05). Most (91.8%) of the effect of food insecurity on common mental disorders was direct and only 8.2% of their relationship was partially mediated by physical health. In addition, poor self-rated health (β = 0.285, P<0.05), high socioeconomic status (β = -0.076, P<0.05), parental education (β = 0.183, P<0.05), living in urban area (β = 0.139, P<0.05), and female-headed household (β = 0.192, P<0.05) were associated with common mental disorders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Food insecurity is directly associated with common mental disorders among youth in Ethiopia. Interventions that aim to improve mental health status of youth should consider strategies to improve access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food.
authors.affiliation: Population and Family Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.|Department of Food Safety and Food Quality,Ghent University, Coupure Links, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mulusew G
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0383-7012
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Jebena
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lindstrom
authors.affiliation: Population and Family Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Tefera
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Belachew
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hadley
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Food Quality,Ghent University, Coupure Links, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lachat
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Child Health Unit, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Roos
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verstraeten
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Food Quality,Ghent University, Coupure Links, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Cock
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Food Quality,Ghent University, Coupure Links, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kolsteren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008603:Mental Health; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult