Abstract
Food insecurity is a complex phenomenon that affects the health and wellbeing of vulnerable families. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between household food insecurity, dental caries, oral health-related quality of life, and social determinants of health among Indigenous adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Kaingang adults aged 35-44 years old from the Guarita Indigenous Land, Brazil. Food insecurity was assessed through the EBIA scale. Dental caries was assessed using the DMFT index. Participants answered the OHIP-14 questionnaire and a structured interview. Descriptive and multivariate analyzes using Poisson regression models were performed. The final sample included 107 adults from 97 households. Approximately 95% lived in food insecure families. Severe food insecurity was present in 58% of the households. The phenomenon was associated to the Bolsa Família benefit, household size, and greater perception of oral health impacts on quality of life. The high number of families affected by food insecurity reveals the social vulnerability of the Kaingang people. Food insecurity in Kaingangs adults is associated to oral health perception and social determinants of health.
Highlights
Food access is essential to human life and food security is considered an important social determinant of health[1]
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between household food insecurity, dental caries, oral health-related quality of life, and social determinants of health among Kaingang Indigenous adults
The focus group discussion revealed that Kaingang adults understand the main concepts related to food insecurity assessed by the Household Food Insecurity Scale (EBIA)
Summary
Food access is essential to human life and food security is considered an important social determinant of health[1]. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations[2] defines food security as a “situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”[2]. Based on this definition, four dimensions of food security can be identified: food availability, economic and physical access to food, food utilization and stability over time. Vulnerable subgroups and Indigenous peoples seem sensitive to these setbacks
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