{"title":"Association Between Household Food Insecurity and Low Birth Weight: A Population-Based Case-Control Study.","authors":"Zahra Amiri, Masoumeh Sadeghi, Amin Moradi, Maryam Paydar, Mehdi Norouzi, Ehsan Mosafarkhani","doi":"10.34172/jrhs.2024.165","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Low birth weight (LBW) is a major public health issue associated with increased neonatal morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to examine the association between household food insecurity and LBW in Mashhad, Iran. <b>Study Design:</b> A population-based case-control study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study involved 6294 mothers (3247 cases and 3247 controls) who visited healthcare centers affiliated with Mashhad University of Medical Sciences for term births between March 2019 and March 2022. Cases included women who delivered neonates weighing<2500 g, while controls delivered babies≥2500 g. Food security was measured using the validated Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Logistic regression models examined the associations between food insecurity and LBW. Geographic information system techniques mapped LBW distribution in Mashhad.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Household food insecurity was significantly associated with higher odds of LBW (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03, 1.53). Other risk factors included younger maternal age (AOR=1.03, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.04), lower maternal education (AOR=0.55, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.71), cesarean delivery (AOR=1.70, 95% CI: 1.40, 2.06), and exposure to secondhand smoke (AOR=1.68, 95% CI: 1.02, 2.75). Gestational diabetes demonstrated a protective effect (AOR=0.37, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.91). Geographic mapping revealed that regions with higher food insecurity had elevated LBW prevalence.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings underscore the importance of addressing food insecurity among pregnant women to reduce the risk of LBW and improve newborn outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":17164,"journal":{"name":"Journal of research in health sciences","volume":"24 4","pages":"e00630"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11492523/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of research in health sciences","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.34172/jrhs.2024.165","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is a major public health issue associated with increased neonatal morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to examine the association between household food insecurity and LBW in Mashhad, Iran. Study Design: A population-based case-control study.
Methods: This study involved 6294 mothers (3247 cases and 3247 controls) who visited healthcare centers affiliated with Mashhad University of Medical Sciences for term births between March 2019 and March 2022. Cases included women who delivered neonates weighing<2500 g, while controls delivered babies≥2500 g. Food security was measured using the validated Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Logistic regression models examined the associations between food insecurity and LBW. Geographic information system techniques mapped LBW distribution in Mashhad.
Results: Household food insecurity was significantly associated with higher odds of LBW (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03, 1.53). Other risk factors included younger maternal age (AOR=1.03, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.04), lower maternal education (AOR=0.55, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.71), cesarean delivery (AOR=1.70, 95% CI: 1.40, 2.06), and exposure to secondhand smoke (AOR=1.68, 95% CI: 1.02, 2.75). Gestational diabetes demonstrated a protective effect (AOR=0.37, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.91). Geographic mapping revealed that regions with higher food insecurity had elevated LBW prevalence.
Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of addressing food insecurity among pregnant women to reduce the risk of LBW and improve newborn outcomes.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Research in Health Sciences (JRHS) is the official journal of the School of Public Health; Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, which is published quarterly. Since 2017, JRHS is published electronically. JRHS is a peer-reviewed, scientific publication which is produced quarterly and is a multidisciplinary journal in the field of public health, publishing contributions from Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Public Health, Occupational Health, Environmental Health, Health Education, and Preventive and Social Medicine. We do not publish clinical trials, nursing studies, animal studies, qualitative studies, nutritional studies, health insurance, and hospital management. In addition, we do not publish the results of laboratory and chemical studies in the field of ergonomics, occupational health, and environmental health