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Table 7 Mean psychological distress scores in different measures of food insecurity, according to level of drought exposure

From: The impact of drought on the association between food security and mental health in a nationally representative Australian sample

Food insecurity indicators

Drought exposures

Test for difference across drought exposures

 

Zero or moderate

Very dry

Long dry

Constant dry

Constant and long dry

  
 

Mean (SE)

P-value

Mean (SE)

P-value

Mean (SE)

P-value

Mean (SE)

P-value

Mean (SE)

P-value

Chi2(4)

P-value

Missing meals

       

  Yes

21.7 (0.8)

 

31.7 (2.4)

 

23.2 (1.2)

 

19.7 (2.0)

 

18.4 (2.7)

 

18.4

0.001

  No

15.2 (0.1)

 

15.0 (0.2)

 

15.0 (0.2)

 

14.8 (0.4)

 

14.9 (0.3)

   

  Difference

6.5 (0.8)

<0.001

16.6 (2.4)

<0.001

8.2 (1.2)

<0.001

4.9 (2.0)

0.015

3.5 (2.7)

0.187

  

Below-average consumption core food

      

  Yes

15.6 (0.2)

 

15.5 (0.4)

 

15.4 (0.3)

 

14.9 (0.6)

 

15.4 (0.5)

 

1.1

0.894

  No

15.2 (0.1)

 

15.1 (0.3)

 

14.9 (0.2)

 

14.9 (0.5)

 

14.7 (0.4)

   

  Difference

0.4 (0.2)

0.054

0.4 (0.5)

0.384

0.5 (0.3)

0.152

0.0 (0.7)

0.983

0.7 (0.6)

0.329

  

Above-average consumption discretionary food

      

  Yes

15.5 (0.2)

 

15.6 (0.3)

 

15.2 (0.2)

 

14.7 (0.5)

 

15.5 (0.4)

 

2.12

0.714

  No

15.0 (0.2)

 

14.6 (0.4)

 

14.8 (0.2)

 

15.2 (0.6)

 

14.2 (0.5)

   

  Difference

0.5 (0.2)

0.050

1.0 (0.5)

0.036

0.4 (0.3)

0.178

-0.5 (0.7)

0.465

1.3 (0.6)

0.033

  
  1. Note: Results are presented for the whole sample only as the rural–urban interaction was not significant in this analysis.
  2. All analyses are adjusted for confounding variables.