Food insecurity and affective well-being during COVID-19 in the Middle East and North Africa

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and climate crises have led to unprecedented food insecurity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with ramifications for people's affective well-being. The aim of the study is to explore the relationship between food insecurity and affective well-being in Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt, considering varied social protection responses across these countries. Methods: We analyzed data from the COVID-19 MENA Monitor Household Panel Survey (2020-2021) and employed hybrid mixed-effects models to differentiate within-person and between-person associations between food insecurity and affective well-being. Results: The findings show that higher food insecurity is associated with worse affective well-being, with significant cross -country differences. In Jordan, where extensive social protection was enacted during the pandemic, there is no significant withinor between-person association between food insecurity and affective well-being. By contrast, significant between-person associations are found in Morocco and Egypt, while withinand between-person associations are evidenced in Tunisia. These associations hold strong after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and household circumstances. Limitations: Given COVID-19 restrictions, the sample was limited to the universe of working-age (18-64) mobile phone users, a demographic that often corresponds to higher levels of education and income. Therefore, the results of this study likely provide conservative estimates of the association between food insecurity and affective well-being in the full population. Conclusions: The findings emphasize the critical role of food security in maintaining affective well-being, particularly in non -Western contexts during global crises. They underline the importance of integrating food security considerations into mental health care strategies and interventions.