@article{pog 31117, author = {Ailynna Chen, Katherine Merritt, Anna Greenwood, Craig H Syrop, Michael L Haugsdal}, title = {COVID-19 expands food insecurity disparities among rural, high-risk obstetrics patients}, volume = {11}, year = {2022}, url = {https://pubs.lib.uiowa.edu/pog/article/id/31117/}, issue = {1}, doi = {10.17077/2154-4751.31117}, abstract = {<p><b>Objective:</b> To compare rural and urban food insecurity in a high-risk obstetrics population prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. <br></p><p><b>Methods:</b> Utilizing convenience sampling of high-risk obstetrics patients, validated survey questions assessed self-reported food insecurity from March - October 2019 (pre-COVID-19) and March - October 2020 (COVID-19). Chi-squared analysis compared food insecurity between these two periods and among patients living in rural vs. urban counties.</p><p><b>Results:</b> A total of 1089 (pre-COVID-19) and 1246 (COVID-19) screenings were completed. Compared to 2019, the prevalence of food insecurity in 2020 was significantly higher from March-June only (7.8% pre-COVID-19 vs. 11.4 % COVID-19, p=0.04). Despite pre-COVID-19 similarity, rural patients reported significantly higher food insecurity prevalence during COVID-19 than urban counterparts (12.9% rural vs. 8.2% urban, p&lt;0.01). <br></p><p><b>Conclusions:</b> The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a disproportionate effect on food insecurity among rural patients with high-risk pregnancies. Rural health systems and agencies should explore proactive screening and intervention efforts to mitigate the adverse, downstream health effects of food insecurity.<br></p>}, month = {1}, pages = {1-10}, keywords = {High-risk obstetrics,food insecurity,COVID-19,health disparity,rural health,ood insecurity}, issn = {2154-4751}, publisher={Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics}, journal = {Proceedings in Obstetrics and Gynecology} }