Food Insecurity Is Associated with Diet Quality in Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Area of Science:

• Public Health Nutrition
• Maternal and Child Health
• Nutritional Epidemiology

Background:

• Household food insecurity (HFI) and poor prenatal diet quality are known risk factors for adverse perinatal outcomes.
• Limited research exists on the direct relationship between HFI and diet quality during pregnancy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the severity of household food insecurity and prenatal diet quality and variety among pregnant women in Australia.
• To determine if HFI affects the likelihood of meeting fruit and vegetable recommendations during pregnancy.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 1540 pregnant women in Australia.
• Multiple linear regression models analyzed the relationship between HFI severity and diet quality/variety, adjusting for covariates.
• Logistic regression models assessed HFI's association with meeting fruit and vegetable recommendations.

Main Results:

• Marginal, low, and very low food security were significantly associated with poorer prenatal diet quality.
• Very low food security was linked to reduced dietary variety.
• HFI was associated with lower odds of meeting recommended fruit and vegetable intake.

Conclusions:

• Household food insecurity is a significant factor associated with poorer diet quality and reduced intake of fruits and vegetables during pregnancy.
• Findings underscore the need for policy and service system interventions to mitigate diet-related disparities in pregnant populations.