Access to governmental programs/benefits and food insecurity in urban and rural areas of Northeast Brazil

Abstract

This paper analyzes food insecurity (FI) in urban and rural areas of the Northeast region of Brazil associated with certain social determinants and access to governmental benefits/programs. Data about FI from the National Household Budget Survey (2017-2018) were analyzed, including socio-economic variables and access to government benefits/programs of supplemental income (Bolsa Família, Ongoing transfer benefits, Food voucher and Food basket). Multinomial logistic regression models were performed to assess the relationship between FI and access to government programs/benefits. Half of the families in the Northeast were classified as being subject to FI, the prevalence and severity being higher in rural households. The composition of the family, with at least one retired individual, significantly reduced the probability of being FI at all levels of severity. Access to the Food basket (in cash) benefit and Bolsa Família was associated with being a factor of protection against severe FI in rural areas, while in urban areas the food voucher benefit was the main factor of protection. Income transfer programs and access to social benefits contribute to combatting FI, highlighting the importance of maintaining and scaling-up these initiatives for vulnerable populations.

Intake of Table Sugar and Their Corresponding Food Sources in Adults from the 2017–2018 Brazilian National Dietary Survey

“…On the other hand, the lower intake of table sugar by individuals with excess body weight can be explained as an alternative to controlling weight gain and associated comorbidities. As for differences in the amount of table sugar consumed between Brazilian macro-regions, these may reflect the country's known social and economic inequalities that are associated with the condition of food insecurity, as in the Northeast region [40]. In Brazil, food insecurity mainly affects individuals with low income and low education, living in rural areas, and is inversely associated with adherence to dietary patterns that involve the intake of fruit, vegetables and whole grains [41][42][43][44].…”