(P20-115-24) Mediation of the Association Between Sociodemographic Characteristics and Psychosocial Well-Being by Food Insecurity Among Mexican and U.S. Mexican American Adults in 2021

Objectives: Associations between sociodemographic characteristics and psychosocial well-being may be partially due to food insecurity (FI). Our objective was to determine whether mediation of these relationships by FI differed between Mexican (MEX) and U.S. Mexican American (MA) adults.

Methods: The sample included 5,958 MEX and 3,566 MA adults ≥ 18 years old who participated in the 2021 International Food Policy Study. Structural equation modeling with full information maximum likelihood was used in Stata (v.15.1) to estimate FI mediation. The percentage of mediation was calculated by dividing the indirect path coefficient by the total (i.e., direct path coefficient + indirect path coefficient). Sociodemographic characteristics, including age, sex, number of children in the home, income adequacy, educational attainment, indigenous identity (MEX only), and language preferences (MA only), were included in one model. Indicators of well-being were stress and mental health. FI was assessed using the Household Food Security Survey Module, scored 0 (no FI) to 10. Analyses were stratified by country, with sampling weights applied.

Results: The average age was 38.7 years (50% female) for MEXs and 36.8 years (55% female) for MAs. The mean FI score was similar between strata (3.04 MEX, 3.31 MA). FI was positively associated with stress for MEXs (0.039, p< 0.001) and MAs (0.065, p< 0.001). FI was negatively associated with mental health for MEXs (-0.022, p=0.001) and unassociated with mental health for MAs (-0.004, p=0.595); consequently, FI was not a mediator for MAs when considering mental health. FI mediated associations between sociodemographic characteristics and stress in both strata and mental health for MEXs. FI mediation between age and stress was greater for MAs (16.6%) than MEXs (4.8% MEX). FI mediated the association between children in the home and stress for MEXs (34.3%) and MAs (41.2%). The extent of mediation was similar between income and stress for MEXs (25.0%) and MAs (31.5%).

Conclusions: FI partially explained the association between sociodemographic characteristics and well-being, underscoring that actions to address FI may improve the well-being of MEXs and MAs.

Funding Sources: National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, Canadian Institutes of Health Research.