The association between food desert severity, socioeconomic status, and metabolic state during pregnancy in a prospective longitudinal cohort

Bibliographic Details
Title: The association between food desert severity, socioeconomic status, and metabolic state during pregnancy in a prospective longitudinal cohort
Authors: Elizabeth K. Wood, Gayle Stamos, A J Mitchell, Rose Gonoud, Angela M. Horgan, Olivia Nomura, Anna Young, Joel T. Nigg, Hanna C. Gustafsson, Elinor L. Sullivan
Source: Scientific Reports, Vol 13, Iss 1, Pp 1-13 (2023)
Publisher Information: Nature Portfolio, 2023.
Publication Year: 2023
Collection: LCC:Medicine
LCC:Science
Subject Terms: Medicine, Science
More Details: Abstract Poor metabolic health during pregnancy is associated with health concerns for pregnant individuals and their offspring. Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is one risk factor for poor metabolic health, and may be related to limited access to healthful and affordable foods (e.g., living in a food desert). This study evaluates the respective contributions of SES and food desert severity on metabolic health during pregnancy. The food desert severity of 302 pregnant individuals was determined using the United States Department of Agriculture Food Access Research Atlas. SES was measured using total household income adjusted for household size, years of education, and amount of reserve savings. Information about participants’ glucose concentrations one hour following an oral glucose tolerance test during the second trimester was extracted from medical records and percent adiposity during the second trimester was assessed using air displacement plethysmography. Information about participants’ nutritional intake during the second trimester was obtained by trained nutritionists via three unannounced 24-h dietary recalls. Structural equation models showed that lower SES predicted higher food desert severity (β = − 0.20, p = 0.008) and higher adiposity (β = − 0.27, p = 0.016) and consumption of a more pro-inflammatory diet (β = − 0.25, p = 0.003) during the second trimester of pregnancy. Higher food desert severity also predicted higher percent adiposity during the second trimester (β = 0.17, p = 0.013). Food desert severity significantly mediated the relationship between lower SES and higher percent adiposity during the second trimester (βindirect = − 0.03, 95% CI [− 0.079, − 0.004]). These findings indicate that access to healthful and affordable foods is a mechanism by which SES contributes to adiposity during pregnancy and may inform interventions intended to improve metabolic health during pregnancy.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2045-2322
Relation: https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32783-2
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/43c5482956b74435a6d1b09a6b36ee72
Accession Number: edsdoj.43c5482956b74435a6d1b09a6b36ee72
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
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More Details
ISSN:20452322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-023-32783-2
Published in:Scientific Reports
Language:English