(P10-103-24) Food Insecurity and Measures of Subjective Well-Being Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women: Evidence From Nigeria

Objectives: Food insecurity (FI) has been associated with adverse consequences for health and psychosocial wellbeing. However, few empirical studies have examined its effect on measures of subjective wellbeing among pregnant and postpartum women, particularly in developing countries. This study determined the prevalence of and examined the association between household FI and measures of subjective wellbeing among peripartum women.

Methods: Data for this cross-sectional study included peripartum women, defined as women aged 15-49 years who reported being currently pregnant or pregnant in the past 24 months, and who participated in Round 6 of the Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. The primary independent variable, FI, was assessed using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES). Dependent variables included life satisfaction, happiness, and dispositional optimism. Multivariable multilevel logistic regression analyses with random intercepts were performed to examine the association of FI with subjective well-being outcome measures.

Results: The overall prevalence of FI in the sample was 74.7% (95% CI = 73.3%-76.1%), with 30.6% (95% CI = 29.4%-31.9%) and 44.0% (95% CI = 42.6%-45.6%) experiencing moderate and severe FI, respectively. One in five women reported low happiness levels (20.3%), while more than one-third reported low life satisfaction (39.2%) and low optimism (37.7%). Compared to food-secure women, those experiencing moderate FI had significantly higher odds of reporting lower levels of happiness and dispositional optimism after adjusting for confounders (aOR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.07-1.47; aOR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.11-1.45, respectively). Women experiencing severe FI had significantly higher odds of reporting lower levels of happiness, life satisfaction, and optimism compared to their food-secure counterparts, after adjusting for confounders (aOR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.32-1.78; aOR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.17-1.51; and aOR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.18-1.52, respectively).

Conclusions: Peripartum women experiencing FI were significantly more likely to report diminished subjective wellbeing compared to their food-secure counterparts. There is need to integrate screening for FI into healthcare settings as well as the need for comprehensive policies and programs aimed at addressing the subjective wellbeing of food-insecure peripartum women.

Funding Sources: N/A