Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jun 9;25(1):669.
doi: 10.1186/s12884-025-07795-7.

Food insecurity characteristics and related factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Karachi

Nasreen Fatima  1 , Muhammad Saad Khan  2 , Marium Fatima  2 , Maliha Khalid  2 , Izere Salomon  3 , Muhammad Tarish Abro  2
Affiliations

Food insecurity characteristics and related factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Karachi

Nasreen Fatima et al. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. .

Abstract

Background: Food insecurity (FI), defined as the lack of consistent access to sufficient and nutritious food, remains a critical public health issue in low- and middle-income countries. In Pakistan, approximately 37% of the population experiences FI. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable, as nutritional challenges during pregnancy may affect their health-seeking behaviors. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of household food insecurity and patterns of antenatal care (ANC) utilization among pregnant women in Karachi, Pakistan.

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi, from June to August 2024. Through convenience sampling, 358 pregnant women in their third month of gestation or later were enrolled in the study. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that included the validated household food security access scale (HFIAS). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Frequencies, percentages, and cross-tabulations were used for description.

Results: The mean age of the 358 participants was 26.45 ± 4.9 years. A total of 60.3% of the respondents were from food-insecure households. ANC utilization was reported by 89.3% of the participants. The highest ANC attendance was observed among women aged 21-26 years, women with primary or secondary education, and housewives. Most ANC users have household incomes ranging between PKR 30,000 and 60,000. ANC use was common among multigravida women and among those without any prior stillbirths or abortions. Most women who underwent ANC were informed or guided about their importance.

Conclusion: A considerable proportion of pregnant women in Karachi reported utilizing ANC services, including those from food-insecure households. Various demographic, educational, and reproductive characteristics of ANC attendance have been described. These findings provide an overview of ANC utilization patterns in an urban tertiary care setting and highlight the coexistence of food insecurity among ANC users.

Keywords: Antenatal care; Cross-sectional study; Food insecurity; Maternal health; Pakistan.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical approval and consent to participate: This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the JPMC Hospital’s Ethics Review Board (No F.2–81/2024-GENL/73/JPMC) and conducted by the Declaration of Helsinki, local regulations, and institutional guidelines. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants before their inclusion in the study. Informed consent: Written informed consent was taken from the participants. Consent for publication: Not Applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Pie chart of the age groups
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Pie chart of the household food insecurity status
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Siegel FR, Siegel FR. Food security/insecurity, food systems. The Earth’s Human Carrying Capacity: Limitations Assessed, Solutions Proposed. 2021:21–37.
    1. Kifle Y, Kabeta A, Tamiru D. Household food insecurity and nutritional status of under-five children and women of reproductive age from pond fish farming households in Sidama zone, Southern Ethiopia: community-based cross-sectional study. J Hum Nutr. 2020;4(1):106–11.
    1. Getacher L, Egata G, Aynalem YA, Molla A, Tesfaye A, Abebe H, Bayih WA, Habtegiorgis SD. Food insecurity and its predictors among lactating mothers in North Shoa zone, central Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2020;10(11):e040627. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Dinagde DD, Wada HW, Chewaka MT. Household food insecurity and associated factors among postpartum women in Southern Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):4003. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). Key findings of the household integrated economic survey 2018. https://www.pbs.gov.pk/pslm-publications (Accessed on August 30, 2024).

LinkOut - more resources