OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether food insecurity is associated with the demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health conditions of the elderly. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 427 elderly (³60 years) from Campinas, São Paulo; half were users of a government-run soup kitchen and the others, their neighbors of the same sex. Food insecurity was measured by the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Univariate multinomial logistic regression was used for calculating the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval to measure the association between the independent variables and food insecurity. Variables with p<0.20 were included in a multinomial model, and only those with p<0.05 remained. RESULTS: Most respondents (63.2%) were males; 15.2% and 6.6% were experiencing mild and moderate/severe food insecurity, respectively. The final model, adjusted for sex and age, showed that elderly with a total family income ≤2 minimum salaries (OR=3.41, 95%CI=1.27-9.14), who did not have a job (OR=2.95, 95%CI=1.23-7.06), and who were obese (OR=2.01, 95%CI=1.04-3.87) were more likely to be mildly food insecure. Elderly with cancer (OR=4.13, 95%CI=1.21-14.0) and those hospitalized in the past year (OR=3.16, 95%CI=1.23-8.11) were more likely to be moderately/severely food insecure. Finally, elderly living in unfinished houses (OR=2.71; and OR=2.92) and who did not consume fruits (OR=2.95 and OR=4.11) or meats daily (OR=2.04 and OR=3.83) were more likely to be mildly and moderately/severely food insecure. CONCLUSION: Food insecure elderly are more likely to have chronic diseases, poor nutritional status, and poor socioeconomic condition. Therefore, the welfare programs should expand the number of soup kitchens and develop other strategies to assure adequate nutrition to these elderly.

Objective: To evaluate the association of food insecurity with demographic and socioeconomic conditions in households in Campinas, São Paulo state, Brazil. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on a representative sample of the urban population of the Southern, Southwestern, and Northwestern Health Districts of Campinas, between 2011-2012. Characteristics of the head of household, family history and household patterns were investigated. The dependent variable was food security condition, categorized as food security, mild food insecurity, and moderate/severe food insecurity. All independent variables with p-value <0.20 in the bivariate multinomial logistic regression were included in the final model of multiple multinomial logistic regression, adjusted to household head age; the remaining variables had p-value <0.05. Results: In the 691 households analyzed, there was 65% of food security, 27.9% of mild food insecurity, and 7.1% of moderate/severe food insecurity. The conditions associated with mild food insecurity were monthly per capita income less than the minimum wage, household head unemployed for more than six months between 2004-2010, living in properties given to the family/occupied/other, and density higher than two people per bedroon. The moderate/severe food insecurity was associated with informal employment condition of the household head and the presence of a beneficiary of the Bolsa Família (Family Allowance Program), a cash transfer-type program, in the household. The higher the score of the consumer goods, the lower the probability of mild food insecurity or moderate/severe food insecurity. There was a higher probability of mild food insecurity and moderate/severe food insecurity in unfinished masonry-built houses/other. Conclusion: More than one third of the households investigated experienced some form of food insecurity. Mild food insecurity was associated with demographic conditions, while moderate/severe food insecurity was associated with socioeconomic conditions, especially those related to the household head.

Our study aimed to compare key aspects of the food environment in two low-income areas in the city of Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil: one with low and the other with high prevalence of obesity. We compared the availability of retail food establishments, the types of food sold, and the residents’ eating habits. Demographic and socioeconomic data and eating habits were obtained from a population-based health survey. We also analyzed local food environment data collected from remote mapping of the retail food establishments and audit of the foods sold. For comparison purposes, the areas were selected according to obesity prevalence (body mass index - BMI ≥ 30kg/m²), defined as low prevalence (< 25%) and high prevalence (> 45%). Only 18 out of the 150 points of sale for food products sold fruits and vegetables across the areas. Areas with high obesity prevalence had more grocery stores and shops specialized in fruits and vegetables, as well as more supermarkets that sold fruits and vegetables. With less schooling, residents in the areas with high obesity prevalence reported purchasing food more often in supermarket chains and specialized shops with fruits and vegetables, although they consumed more sodas when compared with residents of areas with low obesity prevalence. Our results suggest interventions in low-income areas should consider the diverse environmental contexts and the interaction between schooling and food purchase behaviors in settings less prone to healthy eating.

A alimentação e a nutrição adequadas são fundamentais para a promoção e a proteção da saúde, podendo determinar as condições de saúde de indivíduos e coletividades de diversos modos. A despeito dos avanços conquistados no Brasil - no que tange à realização do direito humano à alimentação adequada (DHAA) e à concretização da segurança alimentar e nutricional (SAN) - vêm-se observando, desde 2016, o enfraquecimento e o desmonte das políticas públicas de garantia de direitos e fortalecimento de sistemas alimentares sustentáveis. Tal cenário contribui para o aumento da pobreza e a piora das condições de vida de consideráveis parcelas da população. Os dados da última Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares (POF 2017-2018) mostram que a prevalência de insegurança alimentar no país aumentou para 36,1% (era 22,9% em 2013), sendo que 3,1 milhões de famílias vivenciaram a experiência da fome no período analisado. Essa situação se agrava em função da crise política e da crise sanitária causada pela pandemia da COVID-19. Nesse contexto, torna-se premente a reflexão sobre quais são as perspectivas no país em relação à garantia do DHAA e da SAN, especialmente para os grupos mais vulneráveis, considerando dimensões como acesso à alimentação, renda básica, programas de transferência de renda, sistemas e ambientes alimentares e mecanismos de participação e controle social.

Objectives To estimate the frequency of food insecurity in households with and without children/adolescents; compare food expenses, sugar and soft drinks consumption in these households; and to analyze the relationship between food insecurity and demographic/socioeconomic variables with food expenses, and sugar and soft drinks consumption in households with and without children/adolescents. Methods Cross-sectional study with 628 households in Campinas, SP, Brazil. Food insecurity was estimated by the Brazilian Household Food Insecurity Measurement Scale. The dependent variables were the proportion of food expenses, and consumption of sugar and soft drinks; and the independent ones included food security/insecurity condition, monthly family income, gender, age and education of the household head. Results The frequency of food insecurity was higher in households with children/adolescents than in households without minors (41.4% vs. 27.9%). The proportion of food expenses was higher in households with children/adolescents and in all households it was associated with lower family income and, in households with minors, to the presence of a female householder. Soft drinks consumption was higher in households with children/adolescents; and was related to higher income in all households, and to the presence of male householder in households with minors. Sugar consumption in households with children/adolescents was associated with higher income, male gender and education level of the household head (<12 years). In households without children/adolescents, the higher sugar consumption was associated with food insecurity and the household head’s education (<8 years). Conclusion In households with children/adolescents there was a greater frequency of food insecurity and a greater commitment of income with food. Food insecurity was associated with increased sugar consumption in households without children/adolescents.