Author:

• BETINA HARMEL - HARMEL, B. - <betinaharmel@gmail.com>
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3997-0296

Co-author(s):

• Doroteia Aparecida Hofelmann - Hofelmann, D. A. - <doroteia.hofelmann@ufpr.br>
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1046-3319

Abstract:

Food Insecurity is a source of daily stress, especially in women. The aim was to investigate the association between mental distress and food insecurity in pregnant women. Cross-sectional study with pregnant women from the public health service, regardless risk stratification, or gestational trimester in Colombo (PR), Brazil. Poisson regression models were progressively adjusted for exposure variables. Results: Among the participating pregnant women (n = 513) the prevalence of mental distress was 50.1%; associated with mild food insecurity (PR 1.34 (95% CI 1.12; 1.61) and moderate/severe food insecurity (PR 1.70; 95% CI 1.33; 2.19). The variable that most changed the association between the outcome and mild food insecurity was income (-4.48%) and, for moderate/severe food insecurity, education (-7.60%). For mild and moderate/severe food insecurity, the greatest reduction occurred with socioeconomic variables 4.5% (PR 1.27; 95% CI 1.05; 1.53) and 8.0% (PR 1.50; 95% CI 1.17; 1.93), respectively. The association between food insecurity and mental distress was consistent, and increased with the degree of food insecurity, with a greater reduction for socioeconomic variables.

Keywords:

Pregnancy; Mental health; Food and nutrition security; Cross-sectional studies.

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