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Food supply

Development and Validation of a Food Security Assessment Questionnaire for Pregnant Women

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A new study conducted by researchers from the North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences has developed and validated a food security assessment questionnaire specifically designed for pregnant women. The questionnaire, known as the Pregnant Women's Food Security Questionnaire (Pregnancy-FSQ), aims to address the critical issue of food insecurity during pregnancy, which can significantly impact the health of both the mother and the fetus. The questionnaire comprises 20 items divided into two dimensions: lack of access to healthy and quality food and inadequate food intake.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Pregnant Women's Food Security Questionnaire (Pregnancy-FSQ) was developed and validated to address food insecurity during pregnancy.
  • The questionnaire consists of 20 items, divided into two dimensions: lack of access to healthy and quality food (16 questions) and inadequate food intake (4 questions).
  • The questionnaire demonstrated strong validity, reliability, and stability, with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.965 and an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient of 0.999.
  • The study employed a mixed-method sequential exploratory design, conducted in two stages: qualitative research and quantitative validation.
  • The research identified four themes in the qualitative research phase: dietary quantity, dietary quality and benefits, managing food insecurity, and promoting food security.
  • The Pregnant Women's Food Security Questionnaire (Pregnancy-FSQ) is a potential solution to enhance food security among pregnant women.

Statistics:

  • 20 items comprise the Pregnant Women's Food Security Questionnaire (Pregnancy-FSQ).
  • The questionnaire has a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.965, indicating strong reliability.
  • The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient of 0.999 indicates strong stability of the questionnaire.
  • 16 questions are related to lack of access to healthy and quality food.
  • 4 questions pertain to inadequate food intake.

Sources:

  • Development and validation of a food security assessment questionnaire for pregnancy. Payesh, 2025,24(2):269-271. (Payesh - http://payeshjournal.ir/)
  • North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery.
  • Iranian Institute for Health Sciences Research.

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