Association of socioeconomic, labor and health variables related to Food Insecurity in workers of the Popular Restaurants in the city of Rio de Janeiro

Evaluation of Community Restaurants Linked to Government Food and Nutrition Safety Programs: A Scope Review

Community restaurants linked to government food and nutritional security programs are establishments created to offer meals to the population in socially vulnerable situations. The objective was to identify the methods, approaches, criteria, and indicators used to evaluate restaurants linked to government food and nutrition security programs. A scoping review based on the Joanna Briggs Institute's methodology and the international guide's recommendations of preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews was conducted. Medline databases via PubMed, Lilacs, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect were used. Primary observational studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, ethnographies, documentary studies, and case studies were included, with a quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed approach. A total of 2498 studies were identified. After taking out 180 duplicated articles, another 2202 articles were excluded by the title. Among the 71 studies selected for complete reading, 10 did not correlate with the research objective, and 12 were included after analyzing the references, totaling 73 included studies. In this review, evaluative approaches were mapped and systematized on the menu, food consumption, food health, food security and/or insecurity, nutritional education, and human right to adequate food; users' profile and health, implantation, history, perceptions, senses, and meanings; handlers/workers; hygienic-sanitary quality; evaluation and monitoring; physical-functional planning, and rest-intake. The presented data provide elements that can be adapted in future evaluations and describe the panorama of academic production in this area.

Food Insecurity among Low-Income Food Handlers: A Nationwide Study in Brazilian Community Restaurants

This study aims to evaluate food insecurity (FI) among Brazilian Community restaurant food handlers and its associated factors. This cross-sectional study was performed with a representative sample of 471 food handlers working in community restaurants (CR) from all Brazilian regions. Participants are mostly female (62.2%), ≤40 years old (67.7%), with a partner (52.0%), and with up to eight years of education (54.1%). Predictors of participants' socioeconomic status and CR geographic location are associated with the household food insecurity categories (p < 0.05). The predictors of socioeconomic conditions are associated with mild and moderate/severe FI category. Workers with less education are twice as likely to belong to the category with the highest FI severity. Lower per capita household income increased the chances of belonging to the mild insecurity category by 86%. It more than doubled the chance to be in the category of moderate/severe insecurity. Predictors of health status, lifestyle, and work are not associated with any multinomial outcome categories. However, working in the South, Southeast, or Midwest regions of Brazilian decreased the chances of belonging to one of the FI categories, with significance only for the mild category. Variables that show an association for this population are per capita household income for the different levels of FI and the CR region for mild FI. A high prevalence of FI in this population points to the need for more studies with low-income workers to prevent FI and its health consequences.

Factors associated with food security in households in the urban area of the state of Tocantins, Northern Brazil

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the factors associated with food insecurity in families living in the urban area of Tocantins/Brazil.

METHODS

This is a population-based cross-sectional study conducted in the urban area of 22 municipalities in the 8 microregions of the state. A semi-structured questionnaire was applied to the head of household to obtain socioeconomic and demographic data, and the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (EBIA) was used to assess food insecurity at home. The anthropometric assessment of the residents was made by measuring weight, height/length and waist circumference. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to assess the association of food insecurity with individual/household variables, and Pearson's chi-square test was used to compare whether there was a difference in the prevalence of food insecurity between microregions and between families with and without individuals under 18 years.

RESULTS

A total of 596 households were evaluated, of which 63.4% were in a food insecurity situation. The final model of the multivariate analysis showed that low head-of-household schooling, low per capita income, receiving social assistance benefits and lack of clean drinking water in the household were associated with food insecurity (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study reveal the high prevalence of food insecurity in the families studied and their associated factors, showing the need for local actions and public policies to improve health conditions, education and income of the population, and consequently, improve the scenario of food and nutritional insecurity in the state.

[Evaluation indicators of Food and Nutritional Insecurity and associated factors: systematic review]

The scope of this paper was to systematically investigate the indicators used in the evaluation of food and nutritional insecurity and associated factors in Brazilian studies. After selection in the databases using search terms and reverse search, 89 articles were included. The majority of the articles evaluated food and nutritional insecurity according to the indicator of perception, using the Brazilian Scale of Food Insecurity (83.1%), the American Scale (5.62%) and isolated questions (2.25%). The other articles evaluated the presence of malnutrition among children (1.12%), expenditure on food (1.12%), adult-equivalent dietary intake (1.12%), protocols (2.25%), and prediction models (2.25%). Food and nutritional insecurity (measured by the different indicators) was associated with socioeconomic and demographic factors, health and lifestyle conditions, food consumption and nutritional status, based on families, specific age groups, beneficiaries of government programs, among others, as sample units. The majority of the studies merely evaluated the food dimension of the insecurity, thereby increasing the difficulty in evaluating this complex situation.

Government-subsidized restaurants in Brazil: an evaluation within the framework of food and nutrition security

ABSTRACT Objective The objective was to evaluate government-subsidized restaurants in southern Brazil according to current regulations and the National Food and Nutrition Security Policy. Methods An evaluation matrix was developed on the basis of a literature review, logic model, immersion in a government-subsidized restaurant, and workshops with experts in the field. The Government-Subsidized Restaurant Evaluation Matrix contemplates two dimensions: Political/Organizational, composed of the subdimensions Administration, Structure, and Target Groups; and Technical/Operational, composed of the subdimensions Meal Quality, Food and Nutrition Education, and Extended Social Support. Subdimensions comprised 24 indicators. Data were gathered through an online survey of the 35 government-subsidized restaurants operating in southern Brazil. Results Of the 35 government-subsidized restaurants in southern Brazil, 86% (n=30) participated in the study. Meal Quality and Administration received the highest score in 73% and 60% of government-subsidized restaurants, respectively, whereas Food and Nutrition Education and Extended Social Support received the lowest score in 47% and 40%, respectively. Conclusion Advances are needed in the understanding of government-subsidized restaurants as public facilities for ensuring food and nutrition security and the human right to adequate food.

Food insecurity and overweight among government-backed economy restaurant workers

Abstract Objective The objective was to analyze the occurrence and the associated factors with food insecurity and overweight among government-backed economy restaurant workers in one of the biggest cities in Brazil. Methods A sample comprised of 180 individuals and represented 76.0% of all economy restaurant workers in the city of Belo Horizonte. Food insecurity was identified through the Brazilian Food Security Scale, and excess weight was identified by the body mass index. Data collection included sociodemographic and occupational information, and also health and quality of life perception. Logistic regression models were applied to identify the association. Results Food insecurity and overweight prevalence levels were 24.0% and 66.7%, respectively. The odds of identifying food insecurity were 2.34 times higher among workers that perceived their quality of life to be regular/poor/very poor and 62.0% and 74.0% lower among workers from the 2nd and 3rd tertile of per capita income, respectively. Individuals ≥40 years old (Odds Ratio=2.69, Confidence Interval 95%:1.33-5.43) and food handlers (Odds Ratio=3.62, Confidence Interval 95%:1.68-7.81) had higher odds of being classified as overweight compared to reference categories. Workers with higher per capita income presented lower odds of being classified as overweight (Odds Ratio=0.40, Confidence Interval 95%:0.17-0,96). Conclusion It was evidenced an occurrence of overweight among government-backed economy restaurant workers, which was associated with age, income and job position. Food insecurity prevalence was associated with income and quality of life perception. Although the sample work in a food and nutritional security promotion program, it is necessary to recommend actions aimed at the promotion of healthy eating habits.

[Food insecurity in rural communities in Northeast Brazil: does belonging to a slave-descendent community make a difference?]

This study aimed to measure the prevalence of food insecurity in a rural area of Northeast Brazil and investigate this outcome according to residence in quilombola communities (descendants of African slaves) versus non-quilombola communities. This was a cross-sectional study in 21 rural communities, 9 of which quilombolas, in 2014, using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (EBIA). Prevalence rates and prevalence ratios were estimated for food insecurity, and Poisson multiple regression analysis with robust variance was performed. Food insecurity was found in 52.1% of the families: 64.9% in quilombola communities and 42% in the others. Food insecurity was associated with belonging to a quilombola community (PR = 1.25), lower economic status (PR = 1.89; 2.98, and 3.22 for status C2, D, and E, respectively), beneficiaries of Bolsa Família program (PR = 1.52), and four or more household members (PR = 1.20). Food insecurity prevalence was high in the entire population, but it was even higher in quilombola communities, even though they belonged to the same coverage area. The results emphasize this population's vulnerability.

Gender differences in the prevalence of household food insecurity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The present review aimed to identify and synthesize literature on household food insecurity with respect to whether the respondent was male or female.

DESIGN

A systematic review of prevalence studies followed by a meta-analysis was conducted between 28 August 2014 and 19 October 2014 in seven electronic databases. The search was updated in April 2016. The included studies used experience-based measures to assess household food insecurity. Dichotomous measures of food insecurity were used. Pooled odds ratios of household food insecurity prevalence in women v. men were obtained through random-effect modelling. Quality assessment, publication bias diagnostics and subgroup analysis were also performed.

SETTING

Population-based studies (i.e. non-clinical populations).

SUBJECTS

Participants aged 18 years or over.

RESULTS

Out of the 5145 articles initially identified, forty-two studies with a total population of 233 153 were included. In general, results showed that the odds for household food insecurity was 40 % higher in studies where women were the respondent (95 % CI 1·27, 1·54; P<0·001). Besides, subgroup analysis revealed that female-headed households were 75% (95 % CI 49-96%) more likely to be food insecure than male-headed households.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results confirm the existence of gender differences in reporting household food insecurity. Furthermore, they indicate that households headed by women constitute a segment of the population that is particularly vulnerable to food insecurity.