Addressing the interaction between food insecurity, depression risk and informal work: findings of a cross-sectional survey among informal women workers with young children in South Africa

Table 6 Factors associated with depression risk with EPDS score as continuous variable

N = 265	Mean post-natal depression score			Bivariable			Multivariable
N = 265	n	Mean	SD	OR	95% CI	p	OR	95% CI	p
Mother's age
< 30 years	138	5.34	4.94	Ref
30–47	126	5.73	4.86	1.07	(0.8–1.4)	0.58	na		na
Mother’s education
< Grade 12	131	6.16	5.39	REF
≥ Grade 12	134	4.88	4.28	0.79	(0.6–1.0)	0.07	0.85	(0.7–1.1)	0.18
Mother in a relationship with child’s father
No	57	6.65	4.96	Ref
Yes	208	5.20	4.84	0.78	(0.6–1.1)	0.11	0.93	(0.7–1.3)	0.67
Father gives money to support the child
No	84	7.30	5.09	Ref
Yes	181	4.69	4.58	0.64	(0.5–0.83)	< 0.001	0.73	(0.6–0.9)	0.03
Mother receives child support grant
No	57	5.84	5.01	Ref
Yes	208	5.42	4.87	0.93	(0.7–1.30)	0.63	na
Monthly earning
< R1000	79	6.27	5.26	Ref
R2000–2999	149	5.34	4.75	0.85	(0.6–1.1)	0.26	0.90	(0.8–1.3)	0.93
≥ R3000	37	4.59	4.53	0.73	(0.5–1.1)	0.13	1.03	(0.7–1.5)	0.88
Salary
Not fixed	164	5.52	5.03	Ref
Fixed	101	5.50	4.69	0.90	0.8–1.3)	0.98	na
Working hours
Irregular	64	6.39	5.41	Ref
Regular	201	5.23	4.70	0.82	(0.6–1.1)	0.17	0.75	(0.6–0.9)	0.03
Stable work
< 4 years	207	5.57	4.72	Ref
≥ 4 years	58	5.29	5.52	0.95	(0.7–1.3)	0.74	na
Self-reported HIV positive
Negative	117	4.91	4.59	Ref
Positive	131	6.19	5.19	1.26	(0.9–1.6)	0.08	0.97	(0.8–1.2)	0.80
No answer/no test	17	4.41	3.99	na
Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS)
Secure/mild insecure	150	3.67	3.93	Ref
Moderate/severe insecure	115	7.91	5.00	2.15	(1.7–2.8)	< 0.001	2.09	(1.6–2.6)	< 0.001

Significant findings in bold type. Only significant factors in bivariate analysis were included in the multivariate model

ISSN: 1472-6874