CONTEXT: While food insecurity and obesity have been shown to be positively associated in women, little is known about the direction of the causal relationship between these 2 constructs. PURPOSE: To clarify the direction of the causal relationship between food insecurity and obesity. METHODS: Chi-square and logistic regression analysis of data from a cohort of 622 healthy childbearing women living in a 10-county rural area of upstate New York and followed from early pregnancy until 2 years postpartum. FINDINGS: Obesity in early pregnancy was associated with increased risk of food insecurity at 2 years postpartum. Initial food insecurity was not associated with increased risk of obesity at 2 years postpartum. Women who were both obese and food insecure in early pregnancy were at greatest risk of major weight gain over the pregnancy and postpartum period. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity appears to lead to food insecurity rather than the converse. Obesity combined with food insecurity present the greatest risk for major weight gain in this sample of childbearing women.
CONTEXT: While food insecurity and obesity have been shown to be positively associated in women, little is known about the direction of the causal relationship between these 2 constructs. PURPOSE: To clarify the direction of the causal relationship between food insecurity and obesity. METHODS: Chi-square and logistic regression analysis of data from a cohort of 622 healthy childbearing women living in a 10-county rural area of upstate New York and followed from early pregnancy until 2 years postpartum. FINDINGS:Obesity in early pregnancy was associated with increased risk of food insecurity at 2 years postpartum. Initial food insecurity was not associated with increased risk of obesity at 2 years postpartum. Women who were both obese and food insecure in early pregnancy were at greatest risk of major weight gain over the pregnancy and postpartum period. CONCLUSIONS:Obesity appears to lead to food insecurity rather than the converse. Obesity combined with food insecurity present the greatest risk for major weight gain in this sample of childbearing women.