Grant: Project Grant

Adolescent mental health and nutrition are leading policy priorities in many countries. There is increasing interest in the role of food insecurity in shaping these health outcomes. One in six youths in Canada experiences some level of food insecurity. Globally, food shortages affect 1 in 3 people and constitute the largest risk factor for the global burden of disease. Previous research has discovered that the material deprivation and stress associated with food insecurity contribute to poor health, but large knowledge gaps remain about causal mechanisms and protective factors for adolescents. Part of the problem is a tendency for research to examine singular exposures and outcomes. We propose to carry out an integrative analysis of food insecurity and mental and physical health in adolescence-a formative but understudied stage of the life course. Combining national and international data sources, we will study food insecurity not only as a determinant of ill health but also a pathway through which poverty and inequality harm health. We will also examine mutual influences on malnutrition (anthropometric failure and overweight) and emotional and behavioural problems. Our data sources include the Ontario Child Health Study, Canadian Community Health Survey, National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, and Gallup World Poll. These sources will provide contextual and individual data on about poverty, inequality, food insecurity, mental and physical health, and social supports in 147 countries. Our objectives will prioritise training students and mobilising our findings to inform applied health policies that aim to optimise the health of young people.