Food Insecurity In Brazil Research Articles

Food insecurity in Brazil by household arrangements and characteristics between 2004 and 2022.

Although food insecurity presents a decreasing trend worldwide, some regions recently observed an increase in hunger levels. Such was the case in Brazil between 2014 and 2018, during and after the great Brazilian recession, and between 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper describes the evolution of food insecurity in Brazil between 2004 and 2022 using Brazilian National Household Sample Survey (PNAD), Brazilian Household Budget Survey (POF) and Continuous PNAD. Households were classified in 20 types of arrangements, and the most vulnerable living arrangements between 2004 and 2018 were identified by multinomial logistic models. Overall, households headed by women (single blacks, whites or in couples) with or without children were the most prone to food insecurity. As for the evolution of food insecurity in Brazil between 2018 and 2022, logistic models were applied to estimate moderate and severe food insecurity levels among the 20 household types. Additionally, effects of the emergency aid and idiosyncrasies of the COVID-19 pandemic were estimated.

Gender, skin color, and household composition explain inequities in household food insecurity in Brazil.

It is well known that female-headed households (FHHs) are more likely to experience food insecurity (FI) than male-headed households (MHHs), however there is a dearth of evidence on how gender intersects with other social determinants of FI. Thus, this paper investigated changes in the prevalence of household FI in Brazil from 2004 to 2018 by the intersection of gender, race/skin color and marital status of the household reference person. Data from three cross-sectional nationally representative surveys that assessed the status of FI using the Brazilian Household Food Insecurity Measurement Scale were analyzed (N2004 = 107,731; N2013 = 115,108, N2018 = 57,204). Multinomial logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between profiles of gender, race/skin color, marital status of the head of the household with household FI stratified by the presence of children <5 years of age. Over time, FHHs had a higher prevalence of mild and moderate/severe FI than did households headed by men. Food security prevalence increased from 2004 to 2013 and decreased between 2013 and 2018 for households headed by men and women. In 2018, households headed by black/brown single mothers with children < 5 years of age were at the highest FI risk. The probability of reporting moderate/severe FI in these households were 4.17 times higher (95% CI [2.96-5.90]) than for households headed by married white men. The presence of children in the household was associated with a higher probability of moderate/severe FI, especially for households headed by black/brown individuals regardless of the reference person's gender. The results suggest that gender inequities combined with darker skin color and the presence of children at home potentiate the risk of moderate/severe FI. Policy makers need to consider the principles of intersectionality when investing in codesigning, implementing, evaluating, and scaling up evidence-based programs to reduce FI.

On public policies to fight food insecurity: a current and necessary reflection from the Ubuntu perspective

This text proposes a reflective study about the current table of concepts and regulations related to food insecurity in Brazil, as well as the relevance of support in public policies adopted by the country in the fight against hunger. The food insecurity phenomenon analyzed in this article aiming to understand its evident occurrence nowadays especially in the ongoing pandemic scenario. By using the qualitative dialectical method, the right to food is presented in Brazilian legislation, public policies, challenges, perspectives, and the strategic axiological support configured by the Ubuntu perspective in the construction of a new comprehension of protection for individuals affected by familiar insecurity.

População e fome: indicadores de insegurança alimentar e os objetivos de desenvolvimento sustentável da ONU

In this work, we aim to address the issue of population and hunger, indicators of food insecurity in Brazil and in the world and how the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (UN) can be a way forward to help eradicate hunger. To build this article, we used qualitative and quantitative approaches. At first, we carried out a bibliographical study, a theoretical-methodological survey and also collected and analyzed secondary data from reports and websites such as the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), UN and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). We conclude that some population variations have changed in recent decades: fertility has decreased and population has increased; and that, with this increase in population, the supply of food also increased. However, there are still people in many parts of the world who suffer from serious food insecurity, that is, hunger itself; and in Brazil the data show that this index continues to grow.

National Trends and Disparities in Severe Food Insecurity in Brazil between 2004 and 2018

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe Brazilian Household Food Insecurity Measurement Scale (EBIA) is the main tool for assessing household food insecurity (FI) in Brazil and facilitates the monitoring and improvement of national public policies to promote food security. Since 2004, the Brazilian government has conducted National Household Sample Surveys, and in 2018, the government carried out the last national evaluation of FI.ObjectivesTo describe trends in severe FI in Brazil from 2004 to 2018.MethodsData from 3 cross-sectional Brazilian National Household Sample Surveys (sample sizes: 2004 = 112,530; 2009 = 120,910; 2013 = 116,196) and from the last Household Budget Survey (sample size = 57,920) that assessed the status of FI using the EBIA were analyzed. Changes in severe FI during 2 periods (2004–2013; 2013–2018) were estimated while considering sociodemographic factors.ResultsThe period between 2004 and 2013 was marked by a significant decrease in severe FI (–53.6%), but this trend reversed in 2013–2018 (+43.8%). The greatest decrease in severe FI occurred in the Northeast (–57.6%) among households where the reference person was a man (–57.6%) and self-identified as white (–58.1%) (2004–2013). In 2013–2018, households with children aged ≤4 y (+6.3%) and members aged ≥65 y (+12.5%) experienced the lowest increases in severe FI.ConclusionsAfter a significant reduction from 2004 to 2013, severe FI increased sharply from 2013 to 2018, likely due to disruptions in public policies aimed at reducing hunger and unemployment rates.

Validity of a 2-item screening tool to identify families at risk for food insecurity in Brazil.

This manuscript aimed to develop a brief 2-item screening tool to identify Brazilian households that include families with children at risk for food insecurity. Psychometric analyses including sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, accuracy, and ROC curves were used to test combinations of questions to determine the most effective screener to assess households at risk for food insecurity when compared to a gold standard scale. Participants included Brazilian National Survey of Demography and Health on Women and Children (PNDS) surveyed households with a valid Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (EBIA) response. The sample included 3,920 households representing 11,779,686 households when expanded using PNDS sample weights. With overall prevalence of food insecurity at 21%, a Brazilian 2-item food-insecurity screen showed sensitivity of 79.31%, specificity of 92.95%, positive predictive value of 74.62%, negative predictive value of 94.5% and ROC area 86.13%. This screen also presented high convergent validity for children's nutrition and health variables when compared with the gold standard, the EBIA full scale. Based on its ability to detect households at risk for food insecurity, a 2-item screening tool is recommended for widespread adoption as a screening measure throughout Brazil, especially when rapid decision-making has been made fundamental, as under the COVID-19 pandemic. This screener can enable providers to accurately identify families at risk for food insecurity and promptly intervene to prevent or ameliorate adverse health and developmental consequences associated with food insecurity and swiftly respond to crises.

Food Insecurity and National School Feeding Program in Brazil – 2004 to 2013

Abstract Background One of United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. In this sense, the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) in Brazil is one of the largest school feeding program in the world and the only one with universal service. It's exist before of Brazil's Family Grant Program (PBF) - a conditional cash transfers program - and the only condition to access is to be a student in public school (kindergarten to high school). So, the aim of this work is to verify the association between food insecurity and the PNAE in Brazil (2004 to 2013). Methods The database used in the present study was the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) thats incorporated Food Security Supplement (FS Supplement). The food security was conceptualized in four levels: food security (FS) and the three types of food insecurity (FI), Mild FI (MiFI), Moderate FI (MoFI) and Severe FI (SFI). Only household with people with less than 18 years-old at public school was analyzed. The database are from 2004, 2009 and 2013 PNAD. The association between food insecurity and PNAE (user or non-user) was conducted by multiple correspondence analysis and logistic regression (the results are preliminary). Results The FI in 2004 was present in 35.2% of households (95%CI: 32.9-37.5), 30.5% (95%CI: 28.7-32.3) in 2009 and 22.9% (95%CI: 20.9-24.8) in 2013. In all years of the study the most users of PNAE living in a household with FI than non-users, that's show in multiple correspondence analysis (two dimensions with a total of 31,7% of variance) and logistic regression (OR: 1.26, 95%IC: 1.24-1.28). Conclusions Author's agree that downward trend in food insecurity in Brazil was a result from Family Grant Program (PBF). Additionally, the PNAE continues as protective factor of FI, because people with less than 18 years-old at public school who lived in a household with FI can have at least one meal a day. Key messages School Feeding Programs contribute to Millennium Development Goals, as to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. National School Feeding Program in Brazil is a protective factor for Food Insecurity.

Evolução e determinantes da insegurança alimentar nos domicílios rurais e urbanos brasileiros no período 2004-2013.

The present study aims to identify the determinants of food insecurity in Brazil, urban and rural areas, based on information from the National Survey by Household Sample, in 2004, 2009 and 2013. It was observed for both Brazil and rural and urban areas, increasing household food security, although food insecurity is still a problem in the country. Households in which the reference person is female, non-whites, younger, with lower level of education, lower income, without electricity, piped water or sewage and residing in the Northeast or North, have a greater chance of food insecurity. In addition, food insecurity in Brazil is higher in rural areas, however, when controlling for household characteristics, the chances of food insecurity are higher in the urban areas, which can be explained by access to land.

Severe food insecurity in Brazilian Municipalities, 2013

The scope of this article was to estimate the prevalence of severe food insecurity (SFI) in Brazilian municipalities in 2013. A logistic regression model was used to predict SFI. To construct the model, the 2013 National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) was used. SFI was measured using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (EBIA). The final model was applied to the 2010 Census, predicting the municipal prevalence. The highest prevalence values were concentrated in the North and Northeast of Brazil, which also showed the highest municipality prevalence disparities. The highest municipal prevalence value of SFI was in the state of Maranhão and the lowest in Rio Grande do Sul. Maranhão was also the State with the largest intrastate disparities in the prevalence of SFI. Spatial analysis showed a higher prevalence of SFI in the North and Northeast regions. Acre had 100% of its municipalities presenting a very high prevalence of SFI. By contrast in the State of São Paulo, 59.1% of the municipalities have a low prevalence of SFI. The prevalence of municipal SFI was higher in Brazil's North and Northeast and there were major disparities in intraregional and intrastate distribution. These prevalence values could assist in improving the targeting of policies to combat food insecurity in Brazil.

The Fight against Hunger and Malnutrition: The Role of Food, Agriculture and Targeted Policies, edited by David E.Sahn. Published by Oxford University Press, New York, 2015, 528 pages. ISBN: 9780198733201, ₤65.

The Fight against Hunger and Malnutrition: The Role of Food, Agriculture and Targeted Policies, edited by David E.Sahn. Published by Oxford University Press, New York, 2015, 528 pages. ISBN: 9780198733201, ₤65.

Female-headed households and food insecurity in Brazil

The National Household Survey carried out in 2009 by Brazil’s bureau of the census contains information on a representative sample of 121,708 households. The questionnaire includes items that enable us to identify households that experience moderate and severe degrees of food insecurity. The results of logistic regression analyses support the hypothesis that the odds of food insecurity are higher among female-headed households compared to male-headed households. Net of statistical controls for region, urban residence, age, monthly per capita household income, and five indicators of the internal composition of the household, the odds of moderate and severe food insecurity are, respectively, 32 % and 16 % higher among households headed by women compared to households headed by men. Further analyses show that the likelihood of food insecurity increases with presence of young children 0–10 years of age and older children 11–18 years of age. The importance of intra-household characteristics is confirmed by results that show that the odds of both moderate and severe food insecurity increase with additional adult males but decrease with additional adult females. Evidence that the presence of adult females reduces food insecurity is consistent with studies of gender differences in household decision making which show that, compared to men, women’s spending patterns have a greater positive effect on the welfare of children and other members of the household. The conclusions are discussed in the context of the poverty and hunger alleviation initiatives in Brazil’s new social policy agenda.

Household strategies to cope with and prevent food insecurity in Brazil

Results of surveys conducted with the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (EBIA), which was adapted from the U.S. measure and validated for Brazil in 2004, indicate that income alone does not explain the severity of food insecurity (FI), pointing to other factors interacting at the household (HH) level. This interpretive study employed mixed methods with the objective of elaborating a theoretical framework, grounded in people's experiences with FI at the HH level, to describe the strategies families use to guarantee access to food. It was carried out in two regions of Brazil: São Paulo and Bahia. First, questionnaires were applied in a non‐random manner in low‐income HHs to collect data on food security status, income, and family composition. From these HHs, 40 families were then selected in each region to participate in semi‐structured interviews. Selection criteria included: low income plus low FI; high income with high FI; families with similar composition and income but disparate FI scores. Key dimensions determining families' strategies included: income stability, nature of social support network, and family life stage. Results also point to a marked predictability and homogeneity in dietary changes as FI worsens, constituting a “managed process” that could be translated into quantitative indicators to complement the EBIA. Funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development – Brazil.

Gender related item response patterns for household food security scales in Brazil and Colombia

Variations in gender related item response rates were explored using two similar locally adapted household food security scales used in the Colombian National Nutrition Survey 2005 (ENSIN; n=17,714) and the Brazilian National Household Survey 2004 (PNAD; n=101,155). Rasch Modeling was used to evaluate infit and measurement values separately for adult and children items by gender of the respondent. Adult and child related items presented good fitness, performing equally on both male and female response patterns. Both female and male respondents presented similar measurement values for adult and children items in the two countries. For most items, infit values were found to be within adequate range (0.8–1.2), being practically identical when comparing female and male responses. In addition, the frequency of affirmative response to each of the items followed the same pattern independently of the gender of the respondent. The results of this study support the validity of the two proposed scales indicating their suitability to measure household food insecurity in Brazil and Colombia.