Benzekri N. A. auteur aut IRD Plaisy M. K. auteur aut IRD Koffi J. J. auteur aut IRD Mensah E. auteur aut IRD Minga A. auteur aut IRD Ekouevi D. K. auteur aut IRD Moh R. auteur aut IRD Bernard Charlotte auteur aut IRD Jaquet A. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf reformatted digital access Objectives:This study was conducted in order to determine whether food insecurity is associated with poor mental health outcomes among people with HIV (PWH) in Togo and Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. Design : Cross-sectional study among participants enrolled in the International epidemiological Databases to Evaluate AIDS West Africa cohort. Methods : The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale was used to measure food insecurity. The PHQ-9, GAD-7, PCL-5, and AUDIT-C instruments were used to assess depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and harmful alcohol use, respectively. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with poor mental health outcomes. Results : Among 584 participants (68.8% female, median age 52 years), nearly half (48.1%) were food insecure; 7.0% were mildly food insecure, 26.7% were moderately food insecure, and 14.4% were severely food insecure. Severe food insecurity [odds ratio (OR) 2.63 (1.30-5.34)] and being widowed [OR 2.15 (1.07-4.30)] were associated with moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms and formal education was protective [OR 0.30 (0.15-0.61)]; there was a trend towards an association between severe food insecurity and moderate-to-severe anxiety symptoms [OR 2.14 (0.98-4.70)] and formal education was protective [OR 0.35 (0.18-0.71)]; severe food insecurity [OR 6.87 (2.89-16.38)] and being widowed [OR 3.55 (1.46-8.59)] were associated with PTSD; mild food insecurity [OR 2.74 (1.20-6.26)] and male sex [OR 11.58 (5.44-24.68)] were associated with high risk alcohol use.Conclusions:Food insecurity is associated with poor mental health outcomes among PWH in Togo and Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. Future studies to understand and address the causal links between food insecurity and mental health among PWH are warranted. specialized food insecurity HIV low- or middle-income countries mental health social determinants of health sub-Saharan Africa West Africa TOGO COTE D'IVOIRE AFRIQUE DE L'OUEST 052 054 108 056 39 9 1262-1272 2025 0269-9370 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010094269 10.1097/qad.0000000000004200 0269-9370 [F B010094269] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010094269 https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/2025-08/010094269.pdf IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2025-08-27 2025-11-04 fdi:010094269 fre