Kalembo, Landry2024-10-282024-10-282024-10-28http://hdl.handle.net/10393/49798https://doi.org/10.20381/ruor-30649Adverse psychosocial, lifestyle and environmental exposures during the first 1,000 days of life can result in undesirable offspring health outcomes, including increased risk of chronic diseases in adulthood. Food insecurity (FI) and heightened stress are factors that may contribute to adverse developmental programming events, which were exacerbated for many Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to examine the relationships between maternal FI and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they were associated with maternal gestational weight gain (GWG) and newborn birth weight in a Canadian pregnant cohort. Data were collected retrospectively from 273 pregnant participants of varying socioeconomic status who were pregnant and delivered infants during the pandemic (March 2020-March 2023). The participants responded to an online survey developed from previously validated questionnaires addressing FI, pandemic-related stress, self-reported GWG, and infant birth weight. Over half (55%) of the participants experienced household FI, while one fifth (20%) reported heightened stress related to pregnancy preparedness and over one third (34%) reported heightened stress related to COVID-19 infection. Participants from food secure and insecure households differed significantly in age, sexual orientation, household type, total household income, housing status, number of kids in the household and whether the pregnancy was planned or unplanned (p < 0.01). Heightened stress was also significantly associated these same factors except from age group and housing status (p < 0.05). GWG outside the recommended guidelines was reported by 77% of participants; however, no associations were observed with FI or pandemic-related stress. Infant birth weight extremes (small or large for gestational age) were reported by 32% of participants. While no associations were observed with FI status, positive associations between birth weight extremes and heightened stress related to both pregnancy preparedness and COVID-19 infection were found (p < 0.02). The results of this study provide a better understanding of the extent of FI, gestational stress, and factors potentially influencing them during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Canadian pregnant population. Recognizing the specific challenges faced by vulnerable pregnant populations can guide tailored interventions and programs aimed at improving maternal and infant health and well-being during emergency/pandemics.enAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Food InsecurityMaternal StressPregnancyCOVID-19 PandemicGestational Weight GainBirthweightThesis