Food insecurity in women with mental illnesses attending a psychiatric hospital in KwaZulu-Natal
Background: Food insecurity is a problem for many people globally. Women and people living with mental illnesses are at a particular risk. There is limited information regarding food insecurity in women living with mental illnesses from South Africa. Aim: To describe the prevalence of food insecuri...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AOSIS
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | South African Journal of Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2342 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849735068684124160 |
|---|---|
| author | Precious S. Dimba Shamima Saloojee Vuyokazi Ntlantsana Sibongile Mashaphu |
| author_facet | Precious S. Dimba Shamima Saloojee Vuyokazi Ntlantsana Sibongile Mashaphu |
| author_sort | Precious S. Dimba |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Food insecurity is a problem for many people globally. Women and people living with mental illnesses are at a particular risk. There is limited information regarding food insecurity in women living with mental illnesses from South Africa.
Aim: To describe the prevalence of food insecurity, its association with socio-demographic and clinical factors, as well as quality of life (QoL) in women with mental illnesses attending a psychiatric hospital.
Setting: King Dinuzulu Hospital Complex in eThekwini KwaZulu-Natal over a 6-month period.
Methods: A researcher-designed questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and clinical data, while the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and the World Health Organization QoL questionnaire (WHO QOL-BREF) were used to collect data on food insecurity and QoL, respectively.
Results: The 123 participants had a mean age of 50 years (standard deviation [s.d.] ± 13.89), and an overall prevalence of food insecurity of 47.1%. In a bivariate analysis, food insecurity was significantly associated with younger age (p = 0.02), having no monthly household income (p = 0.01), a comorbid psychiatric diagnosis (p = 0.02) and a poorer overall QoL (p 0.001).
Conclusion: Women with mental illnesses had a higher prevalence of food insecurity, with an associated poorer QoL. Additional measures are required to improve food security in this vulnerable group.
Contribution: This study found that women with mental illness had more than twice the prevalence of food insecurity than the general population in KwaZulu-Natal. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3d8be7c855d7462ebb64cffe9d0e53c2 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1608-9685 2078-6786 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-3d8be7c855d7462ebb64cffe9d0e53c22025-08-20T03:07:38ZengAOSISSouth African Journal of Psychiatry1608-96852078-67862025-05-01310e1e810.4102/sajpsychiatry.v31i0.2342775Food insecurity in women with mental illnesses attending a psychiatric hospital in KwaZulu-NatalPrecious S. Dimba0Shamima Saloojee1Vuyokazi Ntlantsana2Sibongile Mashaphu3Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanBackground: Food insecurity is a problem for many people globally. Women and people living with mental illnesses are at a particular risk. There is limited information regarding food insecurity in women living with mental illnesses from South Africa. Aim: To describe the prevalence of food insecurity, its association with socio-demographic and clinical factors, as well as quality of life (QoL) in women with mental illnesses attending a psychiatric hospital. Setting: King Dinuzulu Hospital Complex in eThekwini KwaZulu-Natal over a 6-month period. Methods: A researcher-designed questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and clinical data, while the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and the World Health Organization QoL questionnaire (WHO QOL-BREF) were used to collect data on food insecurity and QoL, respectively. Results: The 123 participants had a mean age of 50 years (standard deviation [s.d.] ± 13.89), and an overall prevalence of food insecurity of 47.1%. In a bivariate analysis, food insecurity was significantly associated with younger age (p = 0.02), having no monthly household income (p = 0.01), a comorbid psychiatric diagnosis (p = 0.02) and a poorer overall QoL (p 0.001). Conclusion: Women with mental illnesses had a higher prevalence of food insecurity, with an associated poorer QoL. Additional measures are required to improve food security in this vulnerable group. Contribution: This study found that women with mental illness had more than twice the prevalence of food insecurity than the general population in KwaZulu-Natal.https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2342food insecurityquality of lifewomen with mental illnesspsychiatric hospitalkwazulu-natal |
| spellingShingle | Precious S. Dimba Shamima Saloojee Vuyokazi Ntlantsana Sibongile Mashaphu Food insecurity in women with mental illnesses attending a psychiatric hospital in KwaZulu-Natal South African Journal of Psychiatry food insecurity quality of life women with mental illness psychiatric hospital kwazulu-natal |
| title | Food insecurity in women with mental illnesses attending a psychiatric hospital in KwaZulu-Natal |
| title_full | Food insecurity in women with mental illnesses attending a psychiatric hospital in KwaZulu-Natal |
| title_fullStr | Food insecurity in women with mental illnesses attending a psychiatric hospital in KwaZulu-Natal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Food insecurity in women with mental illnesses attending a psychiatric hospital in KwaZulu-Natal |
| title_short | Food insecurity in women with mental illnesses attending a psychiatric hospital in KwaZulu-Natal |
| title_sort | food insecurity in women with mental illnesses attending a psychiatric hospital in kwazulu natal |
| topic | food insecurity quality of life women with mental illness psychiatric hospital kwazulu-natal |
| url | https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2342 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT precioussdimba foodinsecurityinwomenwithmentalillnessesattendingapsychiatrichospitalinkwazulunatal AT shamimasaloojee foodinsecurityinwomenwithmentalillnessesattendingapsychiatrichospitalinkwazulunatal AT vuyokazintlantsana foodinsecurityinwomenwithmentalillnessesattendingapsychiatrichospitalinkwazulunatal AT sibongilemashaphu foodinsecurityinwomenwithmentalillnessesattendingapsychiatrichospitalinkwazulunatal |