Food insecurity in women with mental illnesses attending a psychiatric hospital in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

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.