Transcript Excerpts for the Bidirectional Pathway: Food Insecurity and Child Mental Health in Masaka District, Uganda

Drawn from focus group discussions with teachers who directly observed children’s behaviours and learning over time, the narratives describe boys and girls aged 7–13 years from nuclear, extended, and child-headed households in rural and peri-urban schools affected by poverty.

Each excerpt captures the child’s home background, food situation, emotional and behavioural presentation, and educational outcomes. The data reveal a two-way causal loop in which parental and child mental health problems contribute to food scarcity, while chronic hunger intensifies psychological distress, leading to anxiety, withdrawal, aggression, and academic decline. Together, the excerpts portray how hunger and emotional suffering reinforce each other, perpetuating vulnerability and learning poverty among children.