Food insecurity is a persistent concern in high-income countries, and has been associated with poor mental health, particularly among females. We conducted a scoping review to characterize the state of the evidence on food insecurity and mental health among women in high-income countries. The research databases PubMed, EMBASE, and psycINFO were searched using keywords capturing food insecurity, mental health, and women. Thirty-nine articles (representing 31 unique studies/surveys) were identified. Three-quarters of the articles drew upon data from a version of the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module. A range of mental health measures were used, most commonly to measure depression and depressive symptoms, but also anxiety and stress. Most research was cross-sectional and showed associations between depression and food insecurity; longitudinal analyses suggested bidirectional relationships (with food insecurity increasing the risk of depressive symptoms or diagnosis, or depression predicting food insecurity). Several articles focused on vulnerable subgroups, such as pregnant women and mothers, women at risk of homelessness, refugees, and those who had been exposed to violence or substance abuse. Overall, this review supports a link between food insecurity and mental health (and other factors, such as housing circumstances and exposure to violence) among women in high-income countries and underscores the need for comprehensive policies and programs that recognize complex links among public health challenges.

Exposure to toxic elements and deficiencies/excessive exposure to essential elements is associated with adverse health effects. Robust biomonitoring data exist for select elements in the general population of Canada, but data are limited for several essential/trace elements, especially among females approaching menopause, a critical and understudied life stage. To describe whole blood concentrations of toxic, essential, and trace elements in females enrolled in a 2018-2021 follow-up of the Canadian Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals cohort, and examine differences in concentrations by sociodemographic and obstetrical history characteristics. We analyzed whole blood samples (n = 288) for concentrations of 21 elements. For 14 elements with >50% detection, we calculated Spearman correlations and compared geometric means across strata of participant characteristics. Element concentrations were similar or lower than reported for similarly aged females in Canada. Participants seemed to have adequate concentrations of essential elements except for zinc, where most were below the proposed zinc adequacy biomonitoring equivalent (6017 μg/L whole blood). The strongest correlations (ρ = 0.41-0.63) were observed between toxic elements which may share exposure sources (mercury/arsenic), and essential elements associated with blood cell production/function (iron/cobalt/copper/zinc/manganese/selenium). Participants' geometric mean element concentrations were generally 1.1-2.0 times higher among peri-/post-menopausal participants (lead), those with unknown menopausal status (iron), older participants (cadmium), younger participants (iron, beryllium), smokers (lead, cadmium), non-smokers (selenium), lower BMI (lead, mercury, arsenic, cesium), higher BMI (manganese, copper), higher household income (nickel), and higher education (mercury, arsenic, cesium). We provide important biomonitoring data for elements among adult females approaching the menopausal transition.

To address community concerns within northern Canada, human biomonitoring projects measured concentrations of environmental contaminants and nutrients in human biological samples from the Dehcho and Sahtú regions of the Northwest Territories and Old Crow, Yukon. Hair and blood samples were analyzed for total mercury, blood was analyzed for selenium, and plasma was analyzed for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Demographic and dietary characteristics associated with concentrations of these biomarkers, within and between the northern Canadian regions sampled, were assessed. Spearman correlations between biomarker concentrations were calculated, geometric mean biomarker concentrations were compared across strata of participant characteristics (stratified by region), and associations were further examined in multivariable models. Participant age and consumption of at least one species of fish and waterfowl were associated with mercury (adjusted R² = 0.26 for hair mercury) and EPA + DHA (adjusted R² = 0.33) biomarker concentrations in the final models. Region and consumption of several fish species as well as caribou livers and kidneys were associated with blood selenium concentrations in the final model (adjusted R² = 0.32). Mercury and EPA + DHA biomarker concentrations were moderately/strongly correlated across all three regions (r_s = 0.36 to 0.65) while correlations with selenium were inconsistent (r_s = 0.04 to 0.28). These findings provide information on the demographic/dietary factors that may be associated with mercury, selenium, and EPA + DHA biomarker concentrations in the northern study regions and highlight the need to consider the nutritional benefits of traditional foods while seeking to understand and reduce the risks of contaminant exposure.