Food insecurity, poor diet, and metabolic measures: The roles of stress and cortisol.

Pubmed ID: 38479471

Pubmed Central ID: PMC11149909

Journal: Appetite

Publication Date: June 1, 2024

MeSH Terms: Humans, Female, Diet, Stress, Psychological, Sodium, Sugars, Glucose, Hydrocortisone, Food Supply, Food Insecurity

Grants: R01 HD073568, R56 AG059677, R01 DK128575, R01 HL158555, T32 AT003997, R01 AG059677

Authors: Epel ES, Laraia BA, Tomiyama AJ, Parker JE, Chiu DT, Wiley CR, Leung CW

Cite As: Chiu DT, Parker JE, Wiley CR, Epel ES, Laraia BA, Leung CW, Tomiyama AJ. Food insecurity, poor diet, and metabolic measures: The roles of stress and cortisol. Appetite 2024 Jun 1;197:107294. Epub 2024 Mar 11.

Studies:

Abstract

Food insecurity is highly prevalent and linked to poorer diet and worse metabolic outcomes. Food insecurity can be stressful, and could elicit chronic psychological and physiological stress. In this study, we tested whether stress could be used to identify those at highest risk for worse diet and metabolic measures from food insecurity. Specifically, we hypothesized that cortisol (a physiological marker of stress) and perceived psychological stress would amplify the link between food insecurity and hyperpalatable food intake as well as metabolic measures. In a sample of 624 Black and White women aged 36-43 who participated in the NHLBI Growth and Health Study's midlife assessment, we assessed associations between food insecurity with hyperpalatable food intake (high fat + high sodium foods; high fat + high sugar foods; and high carbohydrate + high sodium foods), and metabolic measures (fasting glucose, insulin resistance, and waist circumference). We found that food insecurity was associated with higher levels of perceived stress (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.09), and greater intake of high fat + high sugar (hyperpalatable) foods (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.03). In those with higher cumulative cortisol (as indexed by hair cortisol), food insecurity was associated with higher levels of fasting glucose. Neither cortisol nor perceived stress moderated any other relationships, and neither variable functioned as a mediator in sensitivity analyses. Given these largely null findings, further research is needed to understand the role stress plays in the chronic health burdens of food insecurity.