Time-Varying Associations between Food Insecurity and Infant and Maternal Health Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Maternal Health
• Nutritional Epidemiology

Background:

• Food insecurity (FI) presents dynamic challenges for families, negatively impacting infant and maternal health.
• Longitudinal studies on the effects of food insecurity on infant and maternal health are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between food insecurity during an infant's first year of life and subsequent infant and maternal health outcomes.
• To test the hypothesis that food insecurity correlates with poorer health outcomes in infants and mothers.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study involving 364 infants (12-15 months) and their caregivers from a primary care clinic.
• Food insecurity was assessed using a validated 2-item screening tool during well-child visits.
• Primary outcome: infant weight-for-length z-score. Secondary outcomes: infant ferritin, hemoglobin, lead levels, and maternal depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale).

Main Results:

• No overall association between food insecurity and infant weight-for-length z-score was found in adjusted models.
• Male infants exposed to food insecurity had significantly lower weight-for-length z-scores compared to females (P=0.05).
• Infants experiencing food insecurity showed a 14% decrease in log-transformed ferritin concentrations per month of exposure and a significant positive association with maternal depression (IRR 5.01).

Conclusions:

• Food insecurity demonstrates longitudinal and demographically varied associations with infant and maternal health.
• Findings underscore the need for further research into the nuanced impacts of food insecurity on vulnerable populations.