Relationship Between Food Insecurity and Mental Distress in Firefighters

Objective To examine associations between food insecurity, mental distress, diet quality, and coping among active US firefighters. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in June 2024 among 88 active US firefighters. Participants were recruited through social media and personal contacts. Validated measures were used for all constructs. Mental distress was operationalized as symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Hazardous drinking was also assessed. Correlations and chi-square tests were used to analyze associations. Results One in 4 firefighters (22.7%) reported food insecurity, with 27.2% experiencing clinically significant anxiety symptoms and 43.2% screening positive for posttraumatic stress disorder. Diet quality was poor (58.8 ± 10.4 out of 90). Food insecurity was positively correlated with anxiety ( r s = 0.27), avoidant coping ( r s = 0.28), and inversely with diet quality ( r s = −0.31). Conclusions and Implications The findings underscore the importance of developing tailored interventions that address occupational factors contributing to food insecurity, with the goal of supporting both the psychological and nutritional well-being of firefighters.