Association of community-level food insecurity and glycemic control among pregnant individuals with pregestational diabetes

AIM: To evaluate whether pregnant individuals with pregestational diabetes who live in a food-insecure community have worse glycemic control compared to those who do not live in a food-insecure community. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of pregnant individuals with pregestational diabetes enrolled in a multidisciplinary prenatal and diabetes care program. The exposure was community-level food insecurity per the Food Access Research Atlas. The outcomes were hemoglobin A1c (A1c) < 6.0 % in early and late pregnancy, and an absolute decrease in A1c ≥ 2.0 % and mean change in A1c across pregnancy. RESULTS: Among 418 assessed pregnant individuals with pregestational diabetes, those living in a food-insecure community were less likely to have an A1c < 6.0 % in early pregnancy compared to those living in a community without food insecurity [16 % vs. 30 %; adjusted risk ratio (aRR): 0.55; 95 % CI: 0.33–0.92]. Individuals living in a food-insecure community were more likely to achieve a decrease in A1c ≥ 2.0 % [35 % vs. 21 %; aRR: 1.55; 95 % CI: 1.06–2.28] and a larger mean decrease in A1c across pregnancy [mean: 1.46 vs. 1.00; adjusted beta: 0.47; 95 % CI: 0.06–0.87)]. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant individuals with pregestational diabetes who lived in a food-insecure community were less likely to enter pregnancy with glycemic control, but were more likely to have a reduction in A1c and achieve similar A1c status compared to those who lived in a community without food insecurity. Whether interventions that address food insecurity improve glycemic control and consequent perinatal outcomes remains to be studied.