Food, Pregnancy and Me

Joint event with the NIHR School for Public Health Research and Nourishing Futures Network

Monday 1 December 2025, 10.00 - 11.30 AM GMT

About this event

Food insecurity is a term used to describe when a household or person lacks consistent access to enough affordable, nutritious, and healthy food for an active, healthy life. It encompasses uncertainty about future food availability and the need to skip meals or compromise on food quality. In high-income countries, there has been a rapid increase in households experiencing food insecurity in the last decade. In the UK, it is estimated that approximately 20% of households are experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity, and prevalence for households with young children (under 6 years) is 31% (Food & You 2 – Wave 10, 2025). However, there is a lack of up-to-date estimates on the prevalence of food insecurity during pregnancy in the UK, as well as limited research on its implications for maternal and infant health and related support needs.

This online event gave an overview of the NIHR School for Public Health Research (SPHR) funded research Food, Pregnancy and Me. The project aimed to identify the prevalence of food insecurity in pregnancy in two maternity services in England (Gateshead and Coventry); look at how food insecurity was associated with pregnancy outcomes in these settings; explore pregnant and postnatal experiences and support needs; and co-develop policy recommendations to prevent or mitigate food insecurity in pregnancy.  

Programme Schedule

Event partners:

Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health: Fuse brings together six Universities in the North East and North Cumbria (Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Cumbria, Sunderland and Teesside) in a unique collaboration. Its mission is to transform health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities through the conduct of world-class public health research and its translation into value-for-money policy and practice. Fuse is a founding member of the NIHR School for Public Health Research.

School for Public Health Research (SPHR): SPHR is a partnership of nine leading academic centres in England, established by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to create a national network of expertise in public health research. Its primary goal is to build an evidence base for effective, equitable, and inclusive public health practices by fostering collaboration and expertise sharing among its member institutions.    ‌