The Mums & Meals Study

Our vision is that all women have consistent access to nutritious food in pregnancy, to help give children the best possible start in life.

The Challenge 

When families are struggling to make ends meet, this can lead to food insecurity. This is when households are having trouble putting food on the table or are worried about running out of food before they can afford to buy more. It can be very stressful and may change the types and amounts of food eaten by people in the household. These experiences can have significant effects on physical and mental health.

Food insecurity is especially concerning in pregnancy, as poor nutrition and stress during this critical period can influence short- and long-term maternal and child health.

Nutrition, along with other social and environmental factors, can also influence the gut microbiome–the community of microbes in the gut, including gut bacteria. The gut microbiome interacts with many organs and body systems, such as the brain and immune system, and plays an important role in their development in early life.

More research is needed to understand the extent and impacts of food insecurity among pregnant women in Australia, and how struggling to make ends meet relates to gut health.


Our Approach

The research is conducted in 2 phases:

An online survey completed by pregnant women about access to food (household food security status) and diet quality.
Stool sample collections provided by a subset of the survey participants to explore how socioeconomic and dietary factors relate to differences in the gut microbiome in pregnant women and their babies.

Progress

Food insecurity is a significant issue for growing families

So far, our research has provided insight into the relationship between food insecurity and diet quality in pregnancy. Some key findings include: 

  • 42% of pregnant women surveyed lived in food insecure households–i.e. they had some concerns about consistently accessing enough nutritious food and/or had reduced the quality and quantity of foods they were eating because they didn’t have enough money for food.
  • As food insecurity severity increased, overall diet quality in pregnant women decreased to a greater extent.
  • Pregnant women from food insecure households were more likely to meet none of the dietary guidelines for core food groups. These food groups provide important nutrients to support a healthy pregnancy.

Where to from here?

Our research has highlighted some of the dietary impacts of food insecurity in pregnancy. The next step involves analysing stool samples to explore associations with the gut microbiome.

Publications

Whiteoak, Bree, Dawson, Samantha L., Callaway, Leonie, de Jersey, Susan, Eley, Victoria, Evans, Joanna, Kothari, Alka, Navarro, Severine, Gallegos, Danielle (2024) Food insecurity is associated with diet quality in pregnancy: A cross-sectional study. Nutrients, 16 (9), pp.Article number: 1319. [eprints.qut.edu.au/248886/]

Lead Researchers