Food insecurity and mental health during the COVID‐19 pandemic in cystic fibrosis households
Background The COVID‐19 pandemic impacted many households due to shelter‐in‐place orders and economic hardship. People with cystic fibrosis (CF) experienced increased food insecurity compared to the general population before the pandemic, even though adequate food access is needed to maintain nutrit...
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Published in | Pediatric pulmonology Vol. 57; no. 5; pp. 1238 - 1244 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
01.05.2022
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Background
The COVID‐19 pandemic impacted many households due to shelter‐in‐place orders and economic hardship. People with cystic fibrosis (CF) experienced increased food insecurity compared to the general population before the pandemic, even though adequate food access is needed to maintain nutrition goals associated with improved health‐related outcomes. Little is known about the impact the pandemic had on the food insecurity of people with CF and their families.
Objective
To investigate how the COVID‐19 pandemic impacted food insecurity, mental health, and self‐care in people with CF.
Methods
Adults with CF and parents/guardians of children with CF were recruited via social media to complete online questionnaires from May 2020 to February 2021. Questionnaires in English and Spanish included USDA 2‐question food insecurity screening, Patient Health Questionnaire‐4 for mental health screening, and directed questions on the impact of the pandemic.
Results
Of 372 respondents, 21.8% of the households experienced food insecurity during the pandemic compared to 18.8% prepandemic (p < .001). More food insecure patients with CF reported weight loss (32.1% vs. 13.1%, p < .001), worse airway clearance adherence (13.6% vs. 5.8%, p < .01), and worse medication adherence (12.4% vs. 1.7%, p < .01) compared to food secure patients. Food insecure subjects were more likely to have an abnormal mental health screen compared to food secure subjects (53.1% vs. 16.2%, p < .001).
Conclusion
Food insecurity increased in the CF population during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Food insecure subjects reported worse mental health and self‐care during the pandemic compared to food secure subjects. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 8755-6863 1099-0496 |
DOI: | 10.1002/ppul.25850 |