Food Insecurity and Some Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics, Fertility, and Pregnancy in Women with Planned and Unplanned Pregnancy

Food insecurity is a major public health problem. The impact of unplanned pregnancy on the physical and mental health of the mother and the fetus is unfavorable. This study was conducted to compare the relationship between food insecurity and some demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, fertility, and pregnancy in women with planned and unplanned pregnancy in Falavarjan in 1393 (2014).

This case-control study was performed on 200 women with unplanned pregnancy (cases) and 200 women with planned pregnancy (controls) using systematic random selection. Information was collected through researcher-made and Food Security questionnaires (USDA) through interviews with the mothers. Data was analyzed with the SPSS software version 16.0 and chi-square, t-test, Mann-Whitney test, correlation coefficient, and logistic regression.

The prevalence of food insecurity was significantly higher in cases (51%) than in controls (37%). Food insecurity increased the risk of unplanned pregnancy by 1.15 times (CI 95% for OR 1.08-1.22). The risk of unplanned pregnancy, in terms of food insecurity without hunger was 0.324 times more than food security conditions. The odds increased in the state of food insecurity with hunger. In groups, demographic characteristics (except for the age of the household head in the control group), fertility and pregnancy had a significant direct relationship and socioeconomic status had a significant inverse relationship with the household food security.

Food insecurity is associated with demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and the history of fertility and pregnancy. Unplanned pregnancy endangers the outcome of pregnancy and the health of the future generations.