Factors Associated with Home Food Environment in Low-Income Overweight or Obese Pregnant Women

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 14; no. 4; p. 869
• Main Authors: Chang, Mei-Wei, Lin, Chyongchiou J., Lee, Rebecca E., Wegener, Duane T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 18.02.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: body mass index; Cross-Sectional Studies; demographic statistics; Demographics; Diet; Female; food availability; Fruits; higher education; Humans; Obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Overweight; Pregnancy; Pregnant Women; Processed foods; regression analysis; Womens health; United States > US; Michigan; stress; ultra-processed foods; pregnant women; obesity; low-income
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu14040869

Limited research has examined factors associated with home food availability. This study investigated the associations among demographics, body mass index category, stress, and home food availability among low-income overweight or obese pregnant women. This cross-sectional study enrolled 332 participants who were non-Hispanic black or white. We performed logistic regression modeling for unprocessed food, processed food, overall ultra-processed food, and three subcategories of ultra-processed food (salty snacks, sweet snacks and candies, and soda). Black women were less likely than white women to have large amounts of processed foods (OR = 0.56), salty snacks (OR = 0.61), and soda (OR = 0.49) available at home. Women with at least some college education or at least a college education were more likely to have large amounts of unprocessed food (OR = 2.58, OR = 4.38 respectively) but less likely to have large amounts of soda (OR = 0.44; OR = 0.22 respectively) available at home than their counterparts. Women with higher stress were less likely to have large amounts of unprocessed food available at home (OR = 0.58) than those with lower stress. Home food availability varied by race, education, and levels of stress in low-income overweight or obese pregnant women.