The association of food security with psychological distress in New Zealand and any gender differences.

Food security (access to safe, nutritious, affordable food) is intrinsically linked to feelings of stress or distress and it is strongly associated with socioeconomic factors. However, the impact of food insecurity on mental health, independent of confounding socioeconomic factors, is not clear. We investigated the association of food insecurity with psychological distress in New Zealand, controlling for socioeconomic factors.

What are the determinants of food insecurity in New Zealand and does this differ for males and females?

Aims: Food insecurity is a lack of assured access to sufficient nutritious food. We aimed to investigate the demographic and socio-economic determinants of food insecurity in New Zealand and whether these determinants vary between males and females.

Methods: We used data from the longitudinal Survey of Families, Income and Employment (SoFIE) (n=18,950).