Zusammenhang zwischen Armut in der Nachbarschaft, Zugang zu Nahrungsmitteln und Geburtsergebnissen gefunden

According to a new study from the NIH Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, living in neighborhoods where residents have lower income and limited access to food during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of babies being born small for gestational age or with lower birth weight.

Prior studies have shown that a mother’s diet during pregnancy can impact the physical and mental health of both the mother and the baby. However, less is known about how food insecurity affects newborn health. In a new research article, ECHO researchers analyzed data to understand the potential connections between a pregnant person’s residential area, their access to food, and birth outcomes.

This ECHO analysis, recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, indicates a possible link.

Given the long-term impact of unfavorable birth outcomes on the later risk of cardiovascular disease and other conditions, further investigation is needed to assess whether interventions and policies that improve access to food during pregnancy would effectively contribute to improving birth outcomes and promoting child health.

Izzuddin M. Aris, PhD, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute

Using nationwide data from over 22,000 participants in the ECHO cohort, a team of ECHO researchers found that during pregnancy, 24% of these participants lived in a neighborhood with low income where one-third or more residents lived more than a mile away from a grocery store (or more than 10 miles in rural areas). They also found that about 14% of participants lived in neighborhoods with high poverty rates where more than 100 households lacked access to a vehicle and lived more than half a mile from the nearest grocery store.

Living in neighborhoods with low income, poor access to food, and low income with poor access to vehicles was associated with lower birth weight, a higher likelihood of babies being born small for gestational age, and a lower likelihood of babies being born large for gestational age. However, the researchers did not find a correlation between individual food insecurity and birth outcomes.

To conduct this study, the researchers compared pregnant individuals‘ residential addresses with information on the availability of nearby food from the US Food Access Research Atlas, data on household income, the availability of a household vehicle, and where people in different neighborhoods can access food.

„In future studies, we want to explore health habits and chemical exposures to understand what else could impact birth outcomes,“ Dr. Aris said.

Dr. Aris led a team of ECHO cohort researchers from across the country who collaborated on the data analysis and writing of this research article.