Assessment of Food Insecurity and Diet Quality in Individuals with Severe Mental Illness
Project no. 32443 · Status: Kapanmış (Yayın bekleniyor) · 2024
Summary
<p>Food insecurity is a major social problem that negatively affects individuals’ mental and physical health, reduces quality of life, and increases mortality rates. In this project, the level of food insecurity and its effects on the nutritional status and diet quality of individuals with severe mental disorders (schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) will be evaluated. This cross-sectional study will include patients with severe mental disorders who receive outpatient treatment at the Community Mental Health Center affiliated with Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, and at the Community Mental Health Center affiliated with Manisa Mental Health and Diseases Hospital. Power analysis (95% confidence interval, 5% margin of error) indicated that the study should include at least 218 participants. However, considering a 10% reserve, it was decided to include at least 240 patients diagnosed with severe mental disorders. The control group will consist of at least 240 healthy individuals matched to the cases by age and sex. Food security status of the participants will be assessed using the Adult Food Security Survey Module. Dietary intake will be recorded using the 24-hour recall method, and based on these data, participants’ diet quality and dietary diversity scores will be calculated using the Healthy Eating Index-2020. Internalized stigma will be evaluated using the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale. Anthropometric measurements will be obtained, and body composition will be assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Data will be analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0 software. Multivariable regression models will be constructed to identify factors associated with food insecurity. A significance level of <em>p</em> < 0.05 will be considered statistically significant. A detailed literature review revealed that there are no studies in Turkey evaluating food insecurity among individuals with severe mental disorders. Given that these individuals are at increased risk due to low income, stigma, unhealthy dietary habits, and chronic diseases, the lack of research assessing food insecurity and its effects in this population makes our project original.</p>