Risk factors for food insecurity and association with prenatal care utilization among women who took opioids during pregnancy

Food insecurity during pregnancy is associated with poorer outcomes for both mothers and their newborns. Given the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States, mothers who take opioids during pregnancy may be at particular risk of experiencing food insecurity.

This research utilized data from 254 biological mothers of infants in the Advancing Clinical Trials in Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (ACT NOW) Outcomes of Babies with Opioid Exposure (OBOE) Study. We examined factors associated with food insecurity among mothers of infants with antenatal opioid exposure and their unexposed (control) counterparts. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were used to compare food insecurity by sociodemographic characteristics, opioid use, prior traumatic experiences, and housing instability. Similar analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between food insecurity during pregnancy and receipt of adequate prenatal care.

Overall, 58 (23%) of the mothers screened positive for food insecurity. Food insecurity was more common among mothers who took opioids during pregnancy (28% vs. 14%; p =0.007), had public insurance (25% vs. 8%; p = 0.027), had housing instability (28% vs. 11%, p = 0.002), experienced three or more adverse experiences in their childhood (37% vs. 17%; p < 0.001), and reported physical or emotional abuse during their pregnancy (44% vs. 17%; p < 0.001). Mothers with food insecurity during pregnancy were less likely to have received adequate prenatal care (78% vs. 90%; p = 0.020). This difference remained after controlling for demographic characteristics (AOR (95% CI) = 0.39 (0.16, 1.00), p = 0.049).

This study adds to the body of evidence supporting the need for screening and development of interventions to address food insecurity during pregnancy, particularly among mothers of infants with antenatal opioid exposure, for which limited data are available. The findings revealed that food insecurity frequently co-occurs with housing instability and prior trauma, indicating that a multifaceted intervention incorporating principles of trauma-informed health care is needed. Although those with food insecurity are at increased risk for poor pregnancy outcomes, they were less likely to have received adequate prenatal care despite high levels of public insurance coverage among study participants, suggesting additional strategies are needed to address barriers to health care among this population.

The Outcomes of Babies with Opioid Exposure (OBOE) Study is registered at Clinical Trials.gov (NCT04149509) (04/11/2019).