Prevalence of Household Food Security and Health-related Quality of Life: Special Consideration on the Expectant Mothers in Punjab

Abstract

Household food security (HFS) affects the quality and adequacy of nutrition and can significantly impact an individual’s health. The study aims to examine the association between HFS and maternal quality of life in Punjab. The cross-sectional study was conducted in the northern Indian state of Punjab from January to March 2021 on 384 expectant mothers. The urban health facilities were chosen using the random cluster selection approach from geographical locations in Punjab, India. A well-structured questionnaire was adapted from HFS and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) that was used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics were used to investigate the socioeconomic status and food security. HFS and HR-QOL relationship was studied using multilinear regression. The results revealed that 43.9% of expectant women experienced food insecurity. Mean (±SD) scores for the domains of ‘social performance’ (84.4 ± 16.6) and ‘role limitation due to physical reasons’ (64.5 ± 35.5) were the highest in pregnant women. Quality of life scores for expectant mothers with food insecurity were the lowest. Due to physical reasons, role constraint scored the weakest for pregnant women with food insecurity (64.3 ± 45.5, 69.1 ± 43.2 and 49.3 ± 57.2, respectively, for mild, moderate and severe food insecurity). High-risk pregnant women screened for HFS in their primary prenatal care can increase their diet quality and quantity. Additionally, there is a need for multi-level actions such as policy development, resource allocation and proper amenities to ensure expectant mothers have access to nutritious food. JEL Codes: D1, I0, I30, I31