Food insecurity was associated with higher mortality in cohort research
Across cohort studies, food insecurity—uncertain access to adequate food—was linked with higher mortality. Results varied across studies, and the review did not establish an association with cancer-related mortality.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The pooled research linked food insecurity with higher mortality, including deaths from any cause and cardiovascular causes. More severe food insecurity was associated with higher reported mortality estimates. These are observational associations: they do not establish that food insecurity caused the deaths or that a particular food-support program would reduce mortality.
Results varied substantially between studies. The abstract does not specify follow-up lengths, the reference groups for its estimates, or how consistently other mortality-related factors were accounted for, limiting interpretation of the pooled associations.
Severity and association
The authors separated food insecurity into mild, moderate, and severe categories. Their reported mortality estimates rose across those categories, but the abstract does not establish why that pattern occurred or isolate a causal effect.
Cause of death matters
The review reported associations for overall mortality and cardiovascular-related mortality, but not cancer-related mortality. The cancer result leaves that relationship uncertain; it does not prove that food insecurity and cancer deaths are unrelated.
The original publication
The Association of Food Insecurity and Risk of Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Large-Scale Cohorts.
Jalili C, Moosavian SP, Awlqadr FH et al.
Nutrients · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40507207
- Record checked
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