Food insecurity in people of terreiros

Abstract

Introduction: The concept of food security is understood as the realization of everyone’s right to regular and permanent access to quality food in sufficient quantity, without affecting other essential needs. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of intrafamily food insecurity in people of terreiros and verify the association with socioeconomic indicators. Methods: Cross-sectional study that investigated the food insecurity of people in terrains in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil. The sample consisted of 137 active houses from August 2011 to July 2012. The Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale and the sociodemographic questionnaire were the nstruments of data collection applied to pai/mãe de santo, after formally consent to their participation in the research. To analyze variables and food insecurity, the χ2 test was used. Results: Food insecurity was present in 79.6% of households, with 29.9% in mild food insecurity, 33.6% in moderate and 16.1% in severe. In households with children under 18 years of age, the prevalence of severe food insecurity was higher (22.7%) than in households with residents who were 18 years old or older (14.7%). Independent variables such as monthly income and housing type showed significant association with food insecurity. Conclusion: The results express the severity of food insecurity of people in the terrains of Teresina, Piauí, Brazil, indicating a violation of the human right to adequate food experience in this group and reinforcing the necessity for public authorities to act more effectively with social protection actions for these people.