Associations between water insecurity and depression among refugee adolescents and youth in a humanitarian context in Uganda: cross-sectional survey findings

Carmen H Logie; Moses Okumu; Miranda Loutet; Isha Berry; Lina Taing; Simon Odong Lukone; Nelson Kisubi; Nina Sokolovic; Peter Kyambadde

doi:10.1093/inthealth/ihac065

Associations between water insecurity and depression among refugee adolescents and youth in a humanitarian context in Uganda: cross-sectional survey findings

Carmen H Logie, Moses Okumu, Miranda Loutet, Isha Berry, Lina Taing, Simon Odong Lukone, Nelson Kisubi, Nina Sokolovic, Peter Kyambadde

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Background

Water insecurity is linked to poor mental health through intrapersonal, relational and community-based stressors. We examined water insecurity and depression among refugee youth in Bidi Bidi, Uganda.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey and multivariable ordinal logistic regression to examine associations between water insecurity and depression severity, adjusting for gender, resilience, social support and food insecurity.

Results

Among participants (n=115; mean age: 19.7 y, SD 2.3), 80.0% reported water insecurity and 18.3% had moderate/severe depression symptoms. Water insecurity was independently associated with higher levels of depression severity (adjusted OR: 5.61; 95% CI 1.20 to 26.30; p=0.03).

Conclusions

Findings suggest water insecurity was commonplace and associated with depression. Water insecurity could be integrated in refugee mental health promotion by policymakers and community-based programmers.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	ihac065
Pages (from-to)	474-476
Number of pages	3
Journal	International Health
Volume	15
Issue number	4
Early online date	Oct 3 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihac065
State	Published - Jul 1 2023

Keywords

depression
youth
water insecurity
Uganda
resource scarcity
refugee

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Medicine

Online availability

10.1093/inthealth/ihac065License: CC BY-NC

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Logie, C. H., Okumu, M., Loutet, M., Berry, I., Taing, L., Lukone, S. O., Kisubi, N., Sokolovic, N., & Kyambadde, P. (2023). Associations between water insecurity and depression among refugee adolescents and youth in a humanitarian context in Uganda: cross-sectional survey findings. International Health, 15(4), 474-476. Article ihac065. https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihac065

Logie, CH, Okumu, M, Loutet, M, Berry, I, Taing, L, Lukone, SO, Kisubi, N, Sokolovic, N & Kyambadde, P 2023, 'Associations between water insecurity and depression among refugee adolescents and youth in a humanitarian context in Uganda: cross-sectional survey findings', International Health, vol. 15, no. 4, ihac065, pp. 474-476. https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihac065

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abstract = "BackgroundWater insecurity is linked to poor mental health through intrapersonal, relational and community-based stressors. We examined water insecurity and depression among refugee youth in Bidi Bidi, Uganda.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey and multivariable ordinal logistic regression to examine associations between water insecurity and depression severity, adjusting for gender, resilience, social support and food insecurity.ResultsAmong participants (n=115; mean age: 19.7 y, SD 2.3), 80.0\% reported water insecurity and 18.3\% had moderate/severe depression symptoms. Water insecurity was independently associated with higher levels of depression severity (adjusted OR: 5.61; 95\% CI 1.20 to 26.30; p=0.03).ConclusionsFindings suggest water insecurity was commonplace and associated with depression. Water insecurity could be integrated in refugee mental health promotion by policymakers and community-based programmers.",

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author = "Logie, \{Carmen H\} and Moses Okumu and Miranda Loutet and Isha Berry and Lina Taing and Lukone, \{Simon Odong\} and Nelson Kisubi and Nina Sokolovic and Peter Kyambadde",

note = "Research ethics board approval for this study was provided by Mildmay Uganda Research Ethics Committee (ref: 0212–2019), Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (SS 5273) and the University of Toronto (ref: 37981). The study was funded by Grand Challenges Canada [grant number R-ST-POC-1908–26653] with additional support by Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. CHL was also supported by Canada Research Chairs, Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Ministry for Research and Innovation.",

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AU - Taing, Lina

AU - Lukone, Simon Odong

AU - Kisubi, Nelson

AU - Sokolovic, Nina

AU - Kyambadde, Peter

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PY - 2023/7/1

Y1 - 2023/7/1

N2 - BackgroundWater insecurity is linked to poor mental health through intrapersonal, relational and community-based stressors. We examined water insecurity and depression among refugee youth in Bidi Bidi, Uganda.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey and multivariable ordinal logistic regression to examine associations between water insecurity and depression severity, adjusting for gender, resilience, social support and food insecurity.ResultsAmong participants (n=115; mean age: 19.7 y, SD 2.3), 80.0% reported water insecurity and 18.3% had moderate/severe depression symptoms. Water insecurity was independently associated with higher levels of depression severity (adjusted OR: 5.61; 95% CI 1.20 to 26.30; p=0.03).ConclusionsFindings suggest water insecurity was commonplace and associated with depression. Water insecurity could be integrated in refugee mental health promotion by policymakers and community-based programmers.

AB - BackgroundWater insecurity is linked to poor mental health through intrapersonal, relational and community-based stressors. We examined water insecurity and depression among refugee youth in Bidi Bidi, Uganda.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey and multivariable ordinal logistic regression to examine associations between water insecurity and depression severity, adjusting for gender, resilience, social support and food insecurity.ResultsAmong participants (n=115; mean age: 19.7 y, SD 2.3), 80.0% reported water insecurity and 18.3% had moderate/severe depression symptoms. Water insecurity was independently associated with higher levels of depression severity (adjusted OR: 5.61; 95% CI 1.20 to 26.30; p=0.03).ConclusionsFindings suggest water insecurity was commonplace and associated with depression. Water insecurity could be integrated in refugee mental health promotion by policymakers and community-based programmers.

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Associations between water insecurity and depression among refugee adolescents and youth in a humanitarian context in Uganda: cross-sectional survey findings

Abstract

Keywords

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