Association between level of food insecurity and sociodemographic profile of popular restaurant users in a town in the Northeast of Brazil

Abstract

Aim: to investigate the association between the level of food insecurity and the sociodemographic profile of Popular Restaurants users in Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil. Method: This is a field research carried out based on a structured interview with 576 users of popular restaurants. In order to know the sociodemographic profile of Popular Restaurants users, the following variables were investigated: gender, age range, income, education, residence type, frequency of restaurant use, motivation, health-disease conditions, among other indicators. Food insecurity was assessed by the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Fisher's exact and chi-square tests were applied for statistical analysis, with the significance level set at 5%. Results: the results showed that about 50% of users had a monthly income of up to one minimum wage; moderate / severe food insecurity was found in 22.4% of respondents. The significant associations with food insecurity were identified especially by: education; residences with children under 18; monthly and household income; and number of people who contributed to household expenses. Conclusion: the profile of the popular restaurant users investigated confirmed that these restaurants served primarily those who are in impoverished conditions.