Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41133685›Full record

ArticleHealth promotion international2025

Hungry for connection: associations between social isolation, mental health, and food insecurity in regional Australian adults.

Katherine Kent, Alemayehu Digssie Gebremariam, Denis Visentin, Kelly Andrews, Grace Potter, Karen Charlton

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Health promotion international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Katherine KentSchool of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-5330-7044
Alemayehu Digssie GebremariamSchool of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
Denis VisentinSchool of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS 7250, Australia.
Kelly AndrewsHealthy Cities Australia, Wollongong, NSW 2500, Australia.
Grace PotterHealthy Cities Australia, Wollongong, NSW 2500, Australia.
Karen CharltonSchool of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-8044-444X

Funding

Australian Research Council
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Food insecurity is increasingly recognized as a public health issue with social and psychological dimensions. However, evidence on its association with mental health and social isolation in regional Australia remains limited. A cross-sectional online survey among adults (≥18 years) living in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions of Australia assessed food insecurity using the 18-item USDA Household Food Security Survey Module, categorized into 'food secure' (score = 0) or 'food insecure' (score = 1+). Self-rated mental health and physical health (excellent/good vs. fair/poor) and reported diagnosis of a mental health condition was determined. Social isolation was assessed using six individual indicators and a composite social isolation score dichotomized participants into high versus low isolation. Multivariate logistic regression models examined associations between mental health, social isolation, and food insecurity, adjusting for relevant sociodemographic characteristics. Of participants (n = 666; 80% female; 57.1% university education), 38.3% experienced food insecurity. Poor self-rated mental health (22%) was associated with increased odds of food insecurity (AOR = 2.41, 95% CI: 1.47-3.96), as was diagnosed mental illness (AOR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.46-3.71) and poor self-rated physical health (AOR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.23-3.44). Participants with high social isolation on the composite score (15.5%) had two times higher odds of food insecurity compared with those with low isolation (AOR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.09-4.26). Strong associations were also observed for individual indicators. Findings demonstrate strong links between food insecurity, mental health, and social isolation in regional Australia. Addressing food insecurity requires integrated strategies that combine material assistance with initiatives to strengthen social connectedness.

Indexed as

Food InsecurityFood SupplyMental HealthSocial IsolationAdolescentAdultAgedAustraliaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHealth StatusHumansMaleMental DisordersMiddle AgedSocioeconomic Factorsfood insecuritymental healthpublic health nutritionregional Australiasocial determinants of healthsocial isolation

Identifiers

PMID41133685
PMCPMC12550559

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.