scholarly journals Proposal of a short-form version of the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale

2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 783-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo Pozza dos Santos ◽  
Ivana Loraine Lindemann ◽  
Janaína Vieira dos Santos Motta ◽  
Gicele Mintem ◽  
Eliana Bender ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE To propose a short version of the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. METHODS Two samples were used to test the results obtained in the analyses in two distinct scenarios. One of the studies was composed of 230 low income families from Pelotas, RS, Southern Brazil, and the other was composed of 15,575 women, whose data were obtained from the 2006 National Survey on Demography and Health. Two models were tested, the first containing seven questions, and the second, the five questions that were considered the most relevant ones in the concordance analysis. The models were compared to the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale, and the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy parameters were calculated, as well as the kappa agreement test. RESULTS Comparing the prevalence of food insecurity between the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale and the two models, the differences were around 2 percentage points. In the sensitivity analysis, the short version of seven questions obtained 97.8% and 99.5% in the Pelotas sample and in the National Survey on Demography and Health sample, respectively, while specificity was 100% in both studies. The five-question model showed similar results (sensitivity of 95.7% and 99.5% in the Pelotas sample and in the National Survey on Demography and Health sample, respectively). In the Pelotas sample, the kappa test of the seven-question version totaled 97.0% and that of the five-question version, 95.0%. In the National Survey on Demography and Health sample, the two models presented a 99.0% kappa. CONCLUSIONS We suggest that the model with five questions should be used as the short version of the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale, as its results were similar to the original scale with a lower number of questions. This version needs to be administered to other populations in Brazil in order to allow for the adequate assessment of the validity parameters.

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Koester ◽  
Barbara H. Fiese ◽  
Craig Gundersen ◽  
Meghan Fisher

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Payge Lindow ◽  
Irene H. Yen ◽  
Mingyu Xiao ◽  
Cindy W. Leung

ABSTRACT Objective: Using an adaption of the Photovoice method, this study explored how food insecurity affected parents’ ability to provide food for their family, their strategies for managing household food insecurity, and the impact of food insecurity on their well-being. Design: Parents submitted photos around their families’ experiences with food insecurity. Afterwards, they completed in-depth, semi-structured interviews about their photos. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed for thematic content using the constant comparative method. Setting: San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA. Subjects: 17 parents (14 mothers and 3 fathers) were recruited from a broader qualitative study on understanding the experiences of food insecurity in low-income families. Results: Four themes were identified from the parents’ photos and interviews. First, parents described multiple aspects of their food environment that promoted unhealthy eating behaviors. Second, parents shared strategies they employed to acquire food with limited resources. Third, parents expressed feelings of shame, guilt, and distress resulting from their experience of food insecurity. And finally, parents described treating their children to special foods to cultivate a sense of normalcy. Conclusions: Parents highlighted the external contributors and internal struggles of their experiences of food insecurity. Additional research to understand the experiences of the food-insecure families may help to improve nutrition interventions targeting this structurally vulnerable population.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 237-237
Author(s):  
Susana Matias ◽  
Maria Marois ◽  
Marc Schenker

Abstract Objectives The twofold objective of the study was to assess the burden of food insecurity in Latino farm worker households and to identify its correlates in this population. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis using data from the Mexican Immigration to California: Agricultural Safety and Acculturation (MICASA) study, a cohort of Latino farm workers residing in Mendota, California. Interview data from a follow up assessment (when food security was first assessed), and clinical data from a sub-study conducted around the same time were analyzed. Food security was assessed using the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module: Six-Item Short Form, but only asked to female participants (n = 346). Body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) was measured based on direct weight and height measurements. Abdominal fat was categorized as normal vs high risk (waist circumference >35 inches). Blood pressure was assessed based on two consecutive measures of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and categorized as normal, elevated or high blood pressure. Depression was measured using a short version of the CES-D scale; a score of ≥10 was used as indication of depressive symptoms. Sociodemographic and acculturation data were also collected. We conducted bivariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression, considering the study survey design. Results Fifty five % of respondents were food secure, while 45% reported food insecurity (39% without hunger and 6% with hunger). In bivariate analysis, food insecurity was associated with income, education, age at immigration, depressive symptoms and season, but not with age, years living in the US, BMI status, blood pressure or abdominal fat. After controlling for income, education and season, those who immigrated younger than 21 y of age had lower odds of reporting food insecurity, while food insecurity was associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms. Conclusions Food insecurity is prevalent among Latino farm worker families. Among women in these families, immigration to US at a younger age seems to protect them from suffering food insecurity, but experiencing it may be associated with poor mental health. Funding Sources The NIOSH, the California Endowment and the UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. e6-e6
Author(s):  
Peter Wong ◽  
Rosemary Moodie ◽  
David Dai ◽  
Jonathon Maguire ◽  
Catherine Birken ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND Across all demographics, families without consistent access to adequate food place children at health risk. Consequences may persist beyond early life into adulthood. Public policy positions breastfeeding, the ideal nutrition for infants, as an important solution to reducing family food insecurity (FFI). However, few studies have investigated the association between breastfeeding duration and FFI. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the association between total breastfeeding duration and FFI in Canadian urban children. DESIGN/METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted of children aged 0–2 years, from a practice-based child research network. Total breastfeeding duration was collected from parent-reported questionnaires. FFI was measured using 2-item food insecurity and validated 1-item NutriSTEP screens. Multivariable regression analysis was performed adjusting for pre-specified covariates. RESULTS Among 3838 children, the mean total breastfeeding duration was 10.6 months (SD=6.7). Families with food insecurity (14.7%) had increased odds of younger mothers, more males and older and more children. In adjusted model, breastfeeding duration was not associated with FFI (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.98, 1.01). Low-income families were 9 times more likely to be family food insecure than high-income families (p=0.00). CONCLUSION Contrary to public policy, our study found no association between breastfeeding and family food insecurity (FFI). However, other factors may predominate, in particular family income and structure. Given the detrimental impact of FFI, further research is needed to understand the role of infant feeding practices within the larger political, policy and cultural framework.


2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. S395-S402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luísa Álvares ◽  
Teresa F. Amaral

Background The burden of food insecurity in Portugal, and the socioeconomic and demographic factors that are related to this condition, are unknown. Objective To evaluate the frequency of food insecurity and to identify its associated characteristics in the Portuguese population. Methods Data from 3,552 heads of family respondents of the 2005/06 Portuguese National Health Survey were analyzed in a cross-sectional study. Food insecurity was evaluated with the use of the US Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module 6-Item Short Form. Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression models were conducted. Significance was indicated at p < .05. Results Among the respondents, 16.5% were food insecure and 3.5% had very low food security. The odds of being food insecure were highest for women (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.20 to 1.91), smokers (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.20 to 2.02), younger people (OR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.69 to 3.80), unemployed people (OR, 3.04; 95% CI, 2.01 to 4.60), those with lower education (OR, 7.98; 95% CI, 4.73 to 13.49), and those with lower income (OR, 6.27; 95% CI, 4.23 to 9.30). Conclusions The present study explored for the first time the burden of food insecurity in Portugal, revealing that it was highly prevalent, affecting one in six Portuguese citizens. Low education and low income were the main factors associated with food insecurity.


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