Simultaneity of health-related behaviors and food insecurity among pregnant women

Abstract

The researchers aimed through this cross-sectional study to explore the co-occurrence of health-related behaviors and their association with food insecurity in pregnant women. The investigated behaviors include smoking, alcohol consumption, non-regular consumption of fruit, and physical inactivity among 605 participants. Our findings reveal that women experiencing food insecurity exhibit a higher prevalence of simultaneous engagement in specific health behaviors. Specifically, the co-occurrence of alcohol consumption and non-regular fruit consumption is elevated, as is the co-occurrence of smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity, and alcohol consumption, regular fruit consumption, and physical inactivity. The implications of these findings underscore the need for targeted interventions addressing both food insecurity and clustered health behaviors during pregnancy.