Open Access

ARTICLE

Reducing Depression and Anxiety in Children and Adolescents Facing Food Insecurity: The Joint and Independent Contributions of Movement Behaviors

Wenjiao Li¹, Shiliang Chen¹, Xinxing Li², Yanjie Zhang^3,*
1 School of Liberal Arts, Shenzhen City Polytechnic, Shenzhen, China
2 College of Wushu and Dance, Shenyang Sport University, Shenyang, China
3 Physical Education Unit, School of Humanities and Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
* Corresponding Author: Yanjie Zhang. Email:
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Physical Activity and Structured Exercise Programs as Tools for Mental Health Promotion)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2026.080191

Received 04 February 2026; Accepted 29 April 2026; Published online 28 May 2026

Abstract

Backgrounds: Youth living in food-insecure households show greater vulnerability to psychiatric symptoms, including anxiety and depression. Although physical activity and sedentary behavior are established correlates of youth mental health, their associations within the context of food insecurity households remain understudied. This study examines how physical activity and sedentary behavior relate to depression and anxiety risk among children residing in food-insecure households. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2021–2022 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), focusing on youth aged 6–17 years (n = 2118) living in food insecurity households. Multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, race, parental education, family income, and overweight status were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the link between physical activity and sedentary time and the risks of depression and anxiety. Results: Meeting physical activity guideline (≥60 min MVPA/day) was significantly associated with lower odds of both depression (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.44–0.89, p = 0.009) and anxiety (OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.45–0.78, p < 0.001). Meeting sedentary behavior guideline showed a significant association with reduced odds of depression (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.43–0.74, p < 0.001) and anxiety (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.64–0.97, p = 0.025). Most notably, children who met both physical activity and sedentary behavior guidelines exhibited a significant reduction in depression (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.33–0.94, p = 0.027) and anxiety (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.43–0.87, p = 0.009) risk. Conclusions: The findings of this study reveal associations between meeting physical activity and sedentary behavior guidelines independently and jointly reduced risks of depression and anxiety, respectively. Future longitudinal cohort study should examine the prospective association of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and mental health among youth living in food-insecure households.

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Keywords

Movement behaviors; mental disorders; food insecurity; National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH)

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