ABSTRACT
This study aimed to evaluate the association between employment status and mental health, considering food insecurity as a mediator of this relation. A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted with adults (≥ 18 and < 60 years) during the COVID-19 outbreak in two cities from Southern Brazil. Employment status was categorized into working, not working, and lost job. The mental health outcomes evaluated were depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and sadness. Food insecurity was identified by the short-form version of the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Adjusted analyses using Poisson regression were performed to assess the association between employment status and mental health. Mediation analysis was performed to investigate the direct and indirect effects of employment status on mental health outcomes. In total, 1,492 adults were analyzed. The not working status was associated with 53% and 74% higher odds of perceived stress and of sadness, respectively. Being dismissed during the pandemic increased the odds of depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and sadness by 68%, 123%, and 128%, respectively. Mediation analyses showed that food insecurity was an important mediator of the association between employment status and depressive symptoms and sadness, but not of perceived stress. The complexity of these results highlights economic and nutritional aspects involved in mental health outcomes.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Depression , Employment , Food Insecurity , Mental Health , Pandemics , Stress, Psychological , Humans , COVID-19/psychology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Brazil/epidemiology , Adult , Female , Cross-Sectional Studies , Male , Depression/epidemiology , Depression/psychology , Middle Aged , Mental Health/statistics & numerical data , Young Adult , Employment/psychology , Employment/statistics & numerical data , Stress, Psychological/epidemiology , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Socioeconomic Factors , SARS-CoV-2 , Unemployment/psychology , Unemployment/statistics & numerical data , AdolescentABSTRACT
The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) and the mental health of pregnant women from the South of Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study carried out in Criciúma, Brazil, through face-to-face interviews, from April to December 2022. Pregnant women aged 18 or older who underwent prenatal care in the forty-eight basic health care units of the municipality and who were in their third trimester of pregnancy were included. High consumption of UPF was considered as six or more items or subgroups of UPF consumed on the day before the interview, using the Nova-UPF screener. The mental health variables were depressive symptoms, stress, sadness and anxiety. Crude and adjusted analyses were conducted using the Fisher's exact test and the Poisson regression with robust variance. In total, 428 pregnant women were studied; most of them were aged between 20 and 25 years and were white. Pregnant women who presented high consumption of UPF were 1·42-fold (95 % CI 1·06, 1·92) more likely to experience anxiety and presented a prevalence 56 % (95 % CI 1·18, 2·07) higher of stress when compared with those who did not present high consumption of UPF. The prevalence of depressive symptoms and feelings of sadness was 1·31-fold (95 % CI 1·08, 1·60) and 3·41-fold (95 % CI 1·77, 6·58) higher among those with high consumption of UPF, respectively. The results suggest that diet quality is associated with the mental health of pregnant women. Promoting joint actions focused on food and nutritional education, and mental health, for pregnant women, is necessary.
ABSTRACT
Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the association between employment status and mental health, considering food insecurity as a mediator of this relation. A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted with adults (≥ 18 and < 60 years) during the COVID-19 outbreak in two cities from Southern Brazil. Employment status was categorized into working, not working, and lost job. The mental health outcomes evaluated were depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and sadness. Food insecurity was identified by the short-form version of the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Adjusted analyses using Poisson regression were performed to assess the association between employment status and mental health. Mediation analysis was performed to investigate the direct and indirect effects of employment status on mental health outcomes. In total, 1,492 adults were analyzed. The not working status was associated with 53% and 74% higher odds of perceived stress and of sadness, respectively. Being dismissed during the pandemic increased the odds of depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and sadness by 68%, 123%, and 128%, respectively. Mediation analyses showed that food insecurity was an important mediator of the association between employment status and depressive symptoms and sadness, but not of perceived stress. The complexity of these results highlights economic and nutritional aspects involved in mental health outcomes.
Resumo: O objetivo foi avaliar a associação entre situação de trabalho e saúde mental e o papel da insegurança alimentar como mediadora dessa relação. Um estudo transversal de base populacional foi conduzido com adultos (≥ 18 e < 60 anos) durante o surto de COVID-19 em duas cidades do Sul do Brasil. A situação de trabalho foi categorizada em trabalhando, não trabalhando e perda do emprego. Os desfechos de saúde mental avaliados foram sintomas depressivos, percepção de estresse e sentimento de tristeza. A insegurança alimentar foi identificada pela versão reduzida da Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar. Análises ajustadas por regressão de Poisson foram realizadas para avaliar a associação entre situação de trabalho e saúde mental. A análise de mediação foi realizada para investigar os efeitos diretos e indiretos da situação de trabalho sobre os desfechos de saúde mental. No total, foram analisados 1.492 adultos. Não trabalhar associou-se a 53% mais chances de percepção de estresse e 74% maiores de tristeza. A perda do emprego aumentou as chances de sintomas depressivos, estresse percebido e sentimento de tristeza em 68%, 123% e 128%, respectivamente. As análises de mediação mostraram que a insegurança alimentar foi um importante mediador da associação entre situação de trabalho e sintomas depressivos e sentimento de tristeza, mas não para o estresse percebido. A complexidade desses resultados destaca aspectos econômicos e nutricionais envolvidos nos desfechos em saúde mental.
Resumen: El objetivo fue evaluar la asociación entre la situación laboral y la salud mental y el papel de la inseguridad alimentaria como mediador en esta relación. Se realizó un estudio transversal basado en la población con adultos (≥ 18 y < 60 años) durante el brote de COVID-19 en dos ciudades del Sur de Brasil. La situación laboral se clasificó en trabajando, no trabajando y pérdida de empleo. Los resultados de salud mental evaluados fueron síntomas depresivos, percepción de estrés y sensación de tristeza. La inseguridad alimentaria fue identificada por la versión reducida de la Escala Brasileña de Inseguridad Alimentaria. Se realizaron análisis ajustados por regresión de Poisson para evaluar la asociación entre la situación laboral y la salud mental. Se realizó un análisis de mediación para investigar los efectos directos e indirectos de la situación laboral en los resultados de salud mental. En total, se analizaron 1.492 adultos. No trabajar se asoció con un 53% más de probabilidades de percepción de estrés y un 74% más de probabilidades de tristeza. La pérdida del trabajo aumentó las probabilidades de síntomas depresivos, estrés percibido y sentimientos de tristeza en un 68%, 123% y 128%, respectivamente. Los análisis de mediación mostraron que la inseguridad alimentaria era un mediador importante de la asociación entre la situación laboral y los síntomas depresivos y los sentimientos de tristeza, pero no para el estrés percibido. La complejidad de estos resultados destaca los aspectos económicos y nutricionales que intervienen en los resultados de salud mental.
