(OR01-04-24) Role of Poverty Stigma in the Relationship Between Food Security and Mental Health Among Mothers With Low Income in the Southern US

Objectives: This study aimed to understand the relationship between internalized and experienced poverty stigma, food security, and mental health among mothers in households with low income in the southern U.S.

Methods: A cross-sectional study (12/2023) was conducted among mothers who reported a household income below 185% of the federal poverty level and lived in the southern census region. Existing validated measures were used to assess all constructs. Food security status was categorized as high, marginal, low, or very low (VLFS). Internalized and experienced poverty stigma were measured on a 5-point scale (higher score=more stigma). Clinically significant symptoms were used as cutoffs for anxiety and depression and mothers were identified as having low or not low resilience capacities. Diet quality was categorized in quartiles based on mini-EAT scores. Results were analyzed via descriptive statistics, linear regression, t-tests, and effect sizes (η_p², d).

Results: Mean internalized and experienced poverty stigma scores among mothers (n=1,008) were 3.1±0.8 and 3.1±1.1, respectively. There was a medium effect of food security status on internalized (η_p² = 0.06) and experienced stigma (0.11), with mothers experiencing VLFS reporting higher stigma than all other groups (p < 0.001). There was a small effect (d=0.4) of internalized stigma and a medium effect (d=0.5) of experienced stigma on anxiety, with more stigma among mothers who were experiencing clinically significant symptoms of anxiety (p < 0.001). Similar effects were seen for depression (p < 0.001). Participants who reported using food pantries also reported higher experienced stigma (3.4±1.1) than those who did not use food pantries (3.0±1.1; d=0.3; p< 0.001). Small effects (d=0.2) of resilience were seen on experienced stigma (p≤0.001), but not internalized stigma. There was no significant effect between stigma and dietary quality.

Conclusions: Poverty stigma may be a contributing factor in the relationship between food security and mental health among mothers, especially among mothers using food pantries. Efforts to mitigate stigma, especially experienced stigma, warrant further exploration to improve maternal mental health.

Funding Sources: Funding was provided by Oklahoma State University College of Education and Human Sciences.