Policy Brief: Food Security of Pregnant Women in Abadan City; Dimensions of the Issue and Implementation Strategies

Abstract

Context: Because of their specific nutritional requirements, pregnant women are vulnerable to food insecurity, which may lead to adverse outcomes for the mother, the fetus, and society. Objectives: This brief report describes the dimensions of food insecurity among pregnant women in Abadan, Iran, and proposes strategies to improve maternal food security. Evidence Acquisition: In 2025, a study supported by the Vice-Chancellor for Education, Research, and Technology of Abadan University of Medical Sciences was conducted among 385 pregnant women attending comprehensive health service centers in Abadan. Food insecurity was assessed using the validated Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Results: Overall, 53.8% of pregnant women experienced some degree of food insecurity, and 6.2% experienced severe food insecurity. The most important predictors of food insecurity were low maternal education, the husband’s unemployment, a history of miscarriage, and inadequate gestational weight gain. After controlling for confounding variables, low household income was the strongest predictor of food insecurity. Conclusions: In Abadan, more than half of pregnant women experience food insecurity, primarily due to household economic vulnerability. Integrating routine food insecurity screening, targeted nutritional and economic support, and intersectoral referral mechanisms into prenatal care may help reduce food insecurity among pregnant women over the next 3 to 5 years.