Food and Nutritional Insecurity before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Households of Women Belonging to a Social Program

Abstract

Introduction: According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey, the Mexican households in 2018 had food insecurity at 55.5% while in 2012 it was 70%. Food insecurity is a global health problem and now with the COVID-19 pandemic, it has increased. Objective: To compare the levels of food and nutritional insecurity in women’s households from two Social Impulse Centers of the Secretary for Human Social Development (SEDESHU) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A comparative and cross-sectional study was carried out in 41 women participating in a nutritional intervention program in two social promotion centers. Food security was measured with the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA), comparing it in a period from January to April 2020: before and during the health contingency. Socio-economic and demographic variables were also measured, as well as access to water during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Food insecurity levels during the COVID-19 contingency were found to have increased by more than 60% (from 31.7% to 93%); the main risk factors associated with unemployment and access to healthy food. The COVID-19 contingency reflects impacts on households, but because women participated in the nutritional intervention program, it could influence by observing that, at least, the use of food was adequate since apparently food waste was minimal. Conclusions: The implementation of an educational nutrition program can be a strategy in the face of contingencies or extraordinary situations. In this way, the negative impact could be less in the population that does not have any type of food education.