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Food insecurity during pregnancy leads to stress, disordered eating, and greater postpartum weight among overweight women
Author(s) -
Laraia Barbara,
VinikoorImler Lisa C.,
SiegaRiz Anna Maria
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1002/oby.21075
Subject(s) - overweight , medicine , pregnancy , postpartum period , obesity , environmental health , food insecurity , demography , food security , endocrinology , agriculture , ecology , genetics , biology , sociology
Objective To investigate the influence of food insecurity on women's stress, disordered eating, dietary fat intake, and weight during the postpartum period. Methods The association between marginal food security and food insecurity—measured during pregnancy and postpartum—and stress, disordered eating, dietary fat intake, and weight at 3 and 12 months postpartum was estimated using multivariate linear regression, controlling for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and health behaviors. Effect modification between level of food insecurity and prepregnancy weight status was assessed, hypothesizing a stronger association would be found among women who started pregnancy with overweight or obesity. Results Food insecurity status during pregnancy was strongly associated with higher levels of stress, disordered eating, and dietary fat intake at 3 and 12 months postpartum; during the postpartum period, food insecurity was associated with these measures at 12 months postpartum. A significant interaction was found between level of food insecurity and prepregnancy weight status; food insecurity was associated with greater weight and BMI at 12 months only among women with overweight or obesity. Conclusions In order to return to one's prepregnancy weight, women with overweight and obesity who face household food insecurity may need multipronged assistance that not only addresses having enough high‐quality food, but also include stress reduction and eating behavior interventions.