Abstract
The scope of this article is to evaluate food insecurity and its associated factors among pregnant women attended in the public health network of a northeastern Brazilian capital. It is a cross-sectional study with pregnant women living in the capital of the State of Maceió who were attended by the public municipal health network, from which socioeconomic, anthropometric and hemoglobin and blood glucose and blood pressure measurement data were collected. Food insecurity was assessed using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale and its association with the risk factors was tested using Poisson regression analysis, with the results assessed using the Prevalence Ratio and 95% Confidence Interval. Analysis was conducted on 363 pregnant women with a prevalence of food insecurity of 42.7%, of which 8% had severe insecurity. There was an association of food insecurity with maternal hyperglycemia and high maternal blood pressure levels. The prevalence of food insecurity was high among pregnant women attended in the public health network of a northeastern Brazilian capital, being associated with maternal hyperglycemia and high blood pressure. The results should be studied such that more actions are implemented to ensure the right to adequate food for this population group.
Food security; Pregnant women; Hyperglycemia; Blood pressure
