(P24-032-23) The Association of Food Insecurity With Anxiety, Depression, and Sleep in Young Adults With Chronic Pain

Objectives: Food insecurity, one of the United States’ leading health and nutrition challenges, is associated with negative mental health outcomes in young adults, including higher rates of anxiety, depression, and disrupted sleep. Higher rates of anxiety, depression, and disrupted sleep are also found in individuals with chronic pain conditions. Yet it is unclear whether food insecurity may also contribute to anxiety and depression symptoms and sleep problems in young adults with chronic pain. This study investigated food insecurity and its relation to anxiety, depression, and sleep in young adults with chronic pain.

Methods: Young adults (n=225) aged 18-26 with chronic pain completed an online survey. Participants completed measures of food insecurity, generalized anxiety, depression, and sleep disruption. Linear regression models tested associations of food insecurity and with each outcome.

Results: Of this sample, 27.1% of participants reported experiencing food insecurity in the last 12 months. Greater food insecurity was significantly associated with greater anxiety symptoms (b=1.58, p=.03) and sleep disruption (b=2.02, p=.048). However, no significant association was found between greater food insecurity and depression symptoms (b=1.15, p=.10).

Conclusions: These results agree with emerging evidence that suggests individuals with chronic pain experience higher rates of food insecurity than the general population. Moreover, food insecurity may be linked with experiencing elevated anxiety, but not depression, and having more sleep challenges in young adults with chronic pain. These findings highlight a need to better understand the health impacts of concurrent food insecurity and chronic pain on young adults. Further research may help better direct clinical and public health nutrition initiatives for this at-risk population during a critical period of development to explore the consequences of unmet nutritional needs.

Funding Sources: The University of Vermont