Food Insecurity and Mental Health: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

Extensive research has demonstrated the negative impact of food insecurity on mental health; however, the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship remain underexplored. Using data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey (N = 25,703), this study investigates whether sleep problems mediate the relationship between food insecurity and mental health outcomes-specifically depressive and anxiety symptoms-and whether marital status moderates this relationship. The findings indicate that sleep problems partially mediate the effects of food insecurity on depressive and anxiety symptoms. In addition, the impact of sleep problems on these mental health outcomes is less severe among married individuals compared to their unmarried counterparts. However, marital status does not moderate the relationship between food insecurity and sleep problems, nor the relationship between food insecurity and mental health outcomes. The analysis of conditional indirect effects reveals a more pronounced mediation effect of sleep problems among unmarried individuals. These results suggest a partial protective role of marriage in mental health and underscore the importance of addressing sleep problems, particularly among unmarried individuals, in understanding the interplay between food insecurity, sleep problems, and mental health.