Abstract
Urbanization processes are intertwined with nutritional transition because there is easier access to food of low nutritional quality at reduced prices, changing dietary patterns and leading to an increase of non-communicable chronic diseases. This study aims to understand the perceptions for high blood pressure, obesity, and alcoholism, describing some interactions of these dimensions in the problem of food security in the city of Praia. A qualitative study was carried out under the framework of the research project “UPHI-STAT: Urban Planning and Health Inequalities—moving from macro to micro statistics”. Ten focus groups were conducted in three urban areas with distinct characteristics in the city of Praia, with a total of 48 participants. Participants reported frequent consumption of foods with poor nutritional quality, understanding the potential danger in terms of food security in the city of Praia. Easy access to and high levels of alcohol consumption, and poor quality of traditional drinks were mentioned by participants in the study areas. The impact of the economic situation on the possibility of access to safe and healthy options emerged as a differentiating factor.
Highlights
Food security implies promoting the right of all citizens to the regular and permanent access to food in sufficient quantity and quality [1].In contrast, food insecurity is deeply linked to poverty, affecting the weakest social groups, with the right to food being more limited, both in terms of access to social and security networks, and productive capacity [2]
The findings are aligned with existing research on the influences on hypertension, which are similar to the causes of health problems reported by participants in the focus group discussions [9,10,13,14,15,29]
When we explored the perceptions of the participants of focus group discussions, regarding the factors of overweight and obesity, the importance of changing dietary patterns was consensual
Summary
Food security implies promoting the right of all citizens to the regular and permanent access to food in sufficient quantity and quality [1]. Food insecurity is deeply linked to poverty, affecting the weakest social groups, with the right to food being more limited, both in terms of access to social and security networks, and productive capacity (capital, land, and agriculture products) [2]. There is evidence that families’ food insecurity, which relates to the financial ability in the household to have access to adequate food, is one of the markers of nutritional vulnerability [3,4]. Res. Public Health 2016, 13, 1155; doi:10.3390/ijerph13111155 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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