Abstract
BackgroundThe results of some studies have indicated the association between food insecurity and certain adverse pregnancy outcomes. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of food insecurity in pregnant women and its association with pregnancy outcomes and complications.MethodsThe present cross-sectional study was conducted on 772 mothers who visited comprehensive health service centers during the first 10 days after delivery in 2018. The tools included the demographic and midwifery information questionnaire and an 18-item questionnaire devised by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The significance level was considered to be 0.05.Results67.5% of pregnant women had food insecurity. The multivariate analysis showed that birth weight decreased with the increase in the severity of food insecurity, but the reduction was not statistically significant. Based on the results, food insecurity had no statistically significant impact on the mothers’ weight gain pattern (p = 0.13). The risk of hypertension/preeclampsia and anemia was not related to food insecurity. Compared with the food-secure group, the probability of gestational diabetes was 56% lower in the food-insecure group without hunger and 61% lower in the food-insecure group with moderate hunger; however, in the food-insecure group with severe hunger, this probability was 1.5 times more than the food-secure group, which is not statistically significant.ConclusionsThe prevalence of food insecurity was high in pregnant women. Maternal weight gains during pregnancy and birth weight (despite being statistically insignificant) were affected by this condition; therefore, it is necessary to identify women with food insecurity on their first pregnancy visit; it is also crucial to take steps towards improving their health through allocating a family food basket and nutritional support for these women at least during pregnancy. Due to the limited sample size and inability to control the potential confounders, the association between food insecurity during pregnancy and the incidence of pregnancy complications could not be reached, hence the need for more studies.
Highlights
The results of some studies have indicated the association between food insecurity and certain adverse pregnancy outcomes
The FAO has further stated that family food security is obtained when a family has access to sufficient and varied amounts of safe food to meet the needs of its members for a year; the family food basket per capita is to be properly selected and prepared so it is sufficient for family members; family food should be properly cooked to provide healthy elements and materials for the internal organs of the body [2]
The majority of the participants had normal BMI, and about threequarters had wanted pregnancy. 32.5% of the pregnant women were in a secure food status, whereas 67.5% were involved in certain degrees of food insecurity (Table1)
Summary
The results of some studies have indicated the association between food insecurity and certain adverse pregnancy outcomes. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of food insecurity in pregnant women and its association with pregnancy outcomes and complications. According to the FAO, one out of eight people worldwide, most of whom live in developing countries, suffer from chronic hunger and do not have enough food for a healthy and dynamic life [3]. The latest FAO estimates show that approximately 805 million people suffered from chronic malnutrition in 2012–14, with the prevalence of malnutrition worldwide being 11.3% and in developing countries 13.5% [4]. In Iran, the overall prevalence of family food insecurity ranges from 20 to 60% in different provinces [9]
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