Validation of secondary data sources of the retail food environment in the capital of Uruguay, an emerging Latin American country.

Secondary data sources are frequently used for characterizing physical access to food. Although several studies have reported that they tend to show a moderate agreement with field observation in WEIRD (Western Educated Industrialized Rich and Democratic) countries, little is known about their validity in non-WEIRD countries. The aim of the present research was to assess the validity of secondary data sources of the retail food environment in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, an emerging Latin American country. A random sample of 106 census tracts was obtained, covering 12% (62 km2) of the city's total area. Two secondary data sources were considered: administrative records and Google Maps. An aggregate database was created by manually removing duplicates. A total of 1051 unique outlets were listed in the database within the census tracts included in the sample. Field validation was performed by six teams of two observers. A total of 1200 food outlets were identified on the ground, including 463 (38.6%) outlets not listed on any database. On the contrary, 297 outlets listed in the databases (28.3%) were not found or were closed at the time of field validation. At the aggregate level, sensitivity and concordance were moderate (0.614 and 0.487, respectively), whereas positive predictive value was substantial (0.701). However, large heterogeneity in the validity of the database across census tracts was found. Sensitivity, positive predictive value, and concordance were positively associated with the socio-economic status index of the census tract. These results suggest that secondary data sources must be used with caution, particularly for the characterization of areas with low socio-economic status.

How are intra-household dynamics, gender roles and time availability related to food access and children's diet quality during the Covid-19 lockdown?

The association between food access and children's diet quality has been documented mainly from its external dimension (e.g., availability, prices, food properties, and marketing). However, existing research has underscored that the external food environment cannot fully account for variations in children's diet quality, even amid the COVID-19 lockdown. It is increasingly evident that elements within the domestic food environment also play a crucial role in shaping this relationship. Specifically, gender roles influence how food is procured and consumed, along with challenges related to time constraints. This study explores the influence of the domestic time-gender axis and household dynamics in food access and children's dietary quality in 14 female-headed households in Santiago, Chile, during the COVID-19 lockdown. Employing a photo-elicitation exercise, we engaged with families residing in the same urban neighborhood but exhibiting varying levels of dietary quality among their children. Our analysis utilized a framework incorporating both socio-ecological food environment and gender theories. Our findings show that within these households, only one unit of "person-time" was available to address all food and caregiving tasks. Due to an unequal gender system, this limited time allocation was disproportionately absorbed by women, who were already burdened with multiple responsibilities. The lack of time favors the consumption of ultra-processed foods and hinders the intake of fresh foods. Other associated intrahousehold dynamics, such as children's fussiness and special diets, accentuates these time scarcity consequences. These difficulties were further exacerbated by strategies adopted in response to the COVID-19 lockdown, however, in families where food-related responsibilities were shared more equitably the lockdown was less disrupting. These results indicate that on top of external food environment policies, comprehensive gender-transformative policies that include food socialization processes are needed to promote healthier diets among all.

Food plants in Brazil: origin, economic value of pollination and pollinator shortage risk.

Pollination is a key ecosystem service of critical importance for food production. However, globally, several regions are already experiencing pollinator shortage as pollinators are declining. Here, we investigate the origin, pollinator dependence and economic value of 199 food crops cultivated in Brazil to understand to which extent (1) Brazilian agriculture is vulnerable to pollinator shortage, and (2) Brazilian society has already achieved a comprehensive perspective about crop dependence. We used Brazil as a case study as it is a megadiverse tropical country and the 3rd largest world crop producer and exporter, with most of the crops depending on pollinators. Our findings revealed that over half (53.7%) of the food crops in Brazil are native, with the North region of Brazil housing the higher diversity of native crops, in contrast with the South and Southeast regions. Additionally, considering the reproductive systems, among native food crops, 65.6% exhibit self-incompatibility or dioecy (i.e., requiring obligatory cross-pollination), whereas 30.6% of exotic food crops display this trait. Overall, Brazilian municipalities produce more exotic crops than native ones, with almost 4/5 of the total agricultural area of the country dedicated to the cultivation of exotic crops, which are generally self-compatible commodities that rely low to modestly on pollinators. Regarding the biomes, we observe that this pattern is followed by most of them, but for the Caatinga dry forest, where native crops dependent on pollinators predominate. However, when soybean is removed from the analysis, the areas devoted to exotic crops always decreased, even being equal to native crops in the Atlantic forest. Our results also indicate that considering the pollinator shortage, some Brazilian biomes may be at risk of losing >20% of their yields, mainly in the Caatinga dry forest and the Atlantic forest. Therefore, in this paper, we are discussing that the expansion of monocultures in Brazil's agricultural lands may have several impacts on the provision of pollination services, food production and, then, on food security not only for the Brazilian population, as Brazil is the 3rd largest world agricultural producer and exporter.

Acesso físico às feiras de orgânicos municipais em favelas de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais / Physical access to municipal organic food fairs in favelas in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais

Introdução: Favelas são regiões que não foram priorizadas pelas políticas públicas, e isso se reflete no ambiente alimentar e, consequentemente, na dificuldade de acesso aos alimentos, sobretudo aqueles produzidos de forma sustentável. Objetivo: Caracterizar o acesso físico às feiras de orgânicos municipais em favelas de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, identificando desertos e pântanos alimentares e realizando uma comparação com a disponibilidade, distância e tempo de deslocamento de estabelecimentos que ofertam alimentos convencionais nessas áreas. Métodos: Foi analisada a distribuição das feiras de orgânicos municipais, dos equipamentos públicos de segurança alimentar e nutricional e dos estabelecimentos que ofertam alimentos cadastrados na Secretaria da Fazenda do Estado de Minas Gerais para o ano de 2019, nos 192 setores censitários localizados em favelas de Belo Horizonte. Para as análises closestfacility e distância de deslocamento, foi utilizado o buffer network de 500 metros. Também foi realizada a análise do tempo de deslocamento utilizando transporte público. Resultados: As feiras de orgânicos municipais estão em menor número e mais distantes dos centroides das favelas. E, além da maior distância para acessar as feiras caminhando, acessá-las por meio de transporte público leva, em geral, um tempo maior de deslocamento. Conclusões: São necessários programas e políticas públicas que incentivem a abertura de feiras de orgânicos e outros tipos de estabelecimentos que ofertam alimentos in natura e minimamente processados que adotem modelos de produção sustentáveis em áreas de favelas, a fim de reduzir as iniquidades de acesso aos alimentos saudáveis e sustentáveis nesse território.Introdução: Favelas são regiões que não foram priorizadas pelas políticas públicas, e isso se reflete no ambiente alimentar e, consequentemente, na dificuldade de acesso aos alimentos, sobretudo aqueles produzidos de forma sustentável. Objetivo: Caracterizar o acesso físico às feiras de orgânicos municipais em favelas de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, identificando desertos e pântanos alimentares e realizando uma comparação com a disponibilidade, distância e tempo de deslocamento de estabelecimentos que ofertam alimentos convencionais nessas áreas. Métodos: Foi analisada a distribuição das feiras de orgânicos municipais, dos equipamentos públicos de segurança alimentar e nutricional e dos estabelecimentos que ofertam alimentos cadastrados na Secretaria da Fazenda do Estado de Minas Gerais para o ano de 2019, nos 192 setores censitários localizados em favelas de Belo Horizonte. Para as análises closestfacility e distância de deslocamento, foi utilizado o buffer network de 500 metros. Também foi realizada a análise do tempo de deslocamento utilizando transporte público. Resultados: As feiras de orgânicos municipais estão em menor número e mais distantes dos centroides das favelas. E, além da maior distância para acessar as feiras caminhando, acessá-las por meio de transporte público leva, em geral, um tempo maior de deslocamento. Conclusões: São necessários programas e políticas públicas que incentivem a abertura de feiras de orgânicos e outros tipos de estabelecimentos que ofertam alimentos in natura e minimamente processados que adotem modelos de produção sustentáveis em áreas de favelas, a fim de reduzir as iniquidades de acesso aos alimentos saudáveis e sustentáveis nesse território.

Introduction: Favelas are usually in regions forgotten by public policies, and it reflects on their residents' food environment, as well as on their tough time accessing food, mainly produced through sustainable ways. Objective: Featuring the physical access to municipal organic-food fairs in Belo Horizonte City, Minas Gerais State, based on identifying food deserts and swamps and comparing food availability to distance and displacement time from shops that sell conventional food in these places. Methods: The distribution of organic food municipal fairs, as well as of both food security and nutrition public equipment, and shops selling food that was registered at Minas Gerais State Treasure Secretariat in 2019, located in the 192 census sectors set in Belo Horizonte favelas. The closest facility and displacement distance analyses were based on the 500m buffer network. Displacement time linked to public transportation usage was also analyzed. Results: The number of organic food municipal fairs in favelas is smaller, and favelas are located farther from fairs' centroids. The distance to be crossed to get to fairs on foot in favelas is also longer, and getting to them by public transportation often demands longer displacements. Conclusions: Public programs and policies are needed to encourage new organic fairs and other establishment types capable of providing fresh and minimally processed food in favela areas based on sustainable production models. It must be done to reduce inequities in access to healthy and sustainable food in these territories.

Feeding during the resting phase causes gastrointestinal tract dysfunction and desynchronization of metabolic and neuronal rhythms in rats.

BACKGROUND: Disrupted circadian rhythms may result from a misalignment between the environmental cycles (due to shift work, sleep restriction, feeding at an unusual time of day) and endogenous rhythms or by physiological aging. Among the numerous adverse effects, disrupted rhythms affect the brain-gut axis, contributing to the pathogenesis of several diseases in the gastrointestinal tract, for example, abdominal pain, constipation, gastric dyspepsia, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and others. METHODS: This study evaluated the rat gastric emptying, gastrointestinal motility, a clock gene, gut hormones, and the neuron activity on the nucleus of tractus solitarius (NTS), area postrema (AP), and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) in rats with restricted food access to the rest phase for 4 weeks. KEY RESULTS: Our results show that food restricted to the rest light period disturbed the expression pattern of a series of transcripts, including metabolic and circadian regulation. Also, the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones, gastric emptying, intestinal motility, and NTS, AP, and DMV activity were altered. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: These data indicate the importance of the time of the day food is ingested on the regulation of energy balance and the endocrine activity of the stomach and small intestine, emphasizing the importance of food as a powerful circadian synchronizer and an essential factor for the triggering of gastrointestinal diseases and metabolic problems. These findings offer a novel clue regarding the obesity-promoting effect attributed to feeding time and open the possibility of treating this and other intestinal disorders.

Senses and repercussions of student assistance on the eating practices of students from a Brazilian public university during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Student assistance (SA), regulated through the National Student Assistance Program (PNAES), seeks to meet the basic social needs of university students and is inserted in the field of public policies for higher education in federal institutions in Brazil. The program allocates financial resources in order to provide scholarships, housing, food, transport, physical and mental health, and accessibility for disabled students. The present study aims to identify the senses attributed by students of a federal public university to AE and the relationship between SA and their eating practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative approach was used. Online questionnaire and focus groups were employed for data collection. The study public consisted of undergraduate students. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used, opting for thematic analysis, with the support of the MAXQDA software. The core meanings were organized into two categories: (i) food during pandemic and (ii) role of student assistance. A total of 55 responses were obtained, and three focus groups were carried out. About 45% reported that the pecuniary aid offered by the university was the family's only source of income during the pandemic and 65% used it to buy food. More than half described worsening in food quality, related to food prices. Although no specific evaluation instrument was used, it is plausible to admit that the students experienced a situation of food insecurity, given the uncertainty in regular access to food, the compromised quality of food, and the strategies mobilized to guarantee a minimum amount of food for all members of the family. Among the reported strategies were changing the location and mode of acquisition (receiving donations, buying in groups or in wholesalers) and choosing cheaper genres. Although students consider SA essential for access and maintenance at the university, a sense assigned to SA was the role of "help." In general, students did not link SA to social rights, as part of public educational policy and as a mechanism for food and nutrition security. SA actions developed during the pandemic were essential for keeping students at the university, also functioning, albeit unintentionally, as a food and nutritional security mechanism.

Food access, domestic environments, and dietary quality of low-middle income Chilean children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: Food access is associated with dietary quality; however, people living in similar physical environments can have different food access profiles. Domestic environments may also influence how food access relates to dietary quality. We studied food access profiles of 999 low-middle income Chilean families with children during the COVID-19 lockdown and how these profiles relate to dietary quality; secondarily, we also explore the role of the domestic environment in this relationship. Materials and methods: Participants of two longitudinal studies conducted in the southeast of Santiago, Chile, answered online surveys at the beginning and end of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Food access profiles were developed by a latent class analysis considering food outlets and government food transfers. Children's dietary quality was estimated by self-reported compliance with the Chilean Dietary Guidelines of Americans (DGA) and daily ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption. Logistic and linear regressions were used to assess the association between food access profiles and dietary quality. Domestic environment data (i.e., the sex of the person who buys food and cooks, meal frequency, cooking skills, etc.) were incorporated in the models to assess their influence on the relationship between food access and dietary quality. Results: We have categorized three food access profiles: Classic (70.2%), Multiple (17.9%), and Supermarket-Restaurant (11.9%). Households led by women are concentrated in the Multiple profile, while families from higher income or education levels are focused on the Supermarket-Restaurant profile. On average, children presented poor dietary quality, with a high daily UPF consumption (median = 4.4; IQR: 3) and low compliance with national DGA recommendations (median = 1.2; IQR: 2). Except for the fish recommendation (OR = 1.77, 95% CI:1.00-3.12; p: 0.048 for the Supermarket-Restaurant profile), the food access profiles were poorly associated with children's dietary quality. However, further analyses showed that domestic environment variables related to routine and time use influenced the association between food access profiles and dietary quality. Conclusion: In a sample of low-middle income Chilean families, we identified three different food access profiles that presented a socioeconomic gradient; however, these profiles did not significantly explain children's dietary quality. Studies diving deeper into household dynamics might give us some clues on intra-household behaviors and roles that could be influencing how food access relates to dietary quality.

COVID-19, Climate Change, and Conflict in Honduras: A food system disruption analysis.

In Honduras, as in many settings between 2020 and 2022, food security was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and conflicts-what some refer to as "The Three Cs." These challenges have had overlapping impacts on food supply chains, food assistance programs, food prices, household purchasing power, physical access to food, and food acceptability. This article applies a food system disruption analysis-adapted from a fault tree analysis originally developed for a municipal context in the United States-to the context of Honduras to systematically examine how the Three Cs affected food availability, accessibility, and acceptability. This article demonstrates the value of approaching food security through a disruption analysis, especially for settings impacted by multiple, interconnected, ongoing crises.

Food insecurity as a risk factor for obesity: A review.

Obesity is considered a 21st-century epidemic and it is a metabolic risk factor for Non-Communicable Diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, some types of cancer, among others. Thus, its prevention and treatment are important public health concerns. Obesity within the context of food insecurity adds an additional layer of complexity to the current obesity epidemic. Efficient policies and interventions ought to take into consideration the effects of food insecurity on the risks of developing obesity among food insecure households. This review aims to analyze the recent available evidence around the obesity - food insecurity paradox. Most of the literature has consistently shown that there is a significant association between food insecurity and obesity, specifically in women of high-income countries. However, mechanisms explaining the paradox are still lacking. Even though researchers have tried to analyze the issue using different individual and societal variables, these studies have failed to explain the mediatory mechanisms of the food insecurity-obesity relationship since the proposed mechanisms usually lack strength or are purely theoretical. The research focus should shift from cross-sectional models to other research designs that allow the exploration of pathways and mechanisms underlying the food insecurity and obesity relationship, such as longitudinal studies, which will hopefully lead to consecutive research testing the effectiveness of different approaches and scale up such interventions into diverse contexts among those affected by obesity and the different degrees of food insecurity.

Giving Families a Voice for Equitable Healthy Food Access in the Wake of Online Grocery Shopping.

Understanding the views of families from low-income backgrounds about inequities in healthy food access and grocery purchase is critical to food access policies. This study explored perspectives of families eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on healthy food access in physical and online grocery environments. The qualitative design used purposive sampling of 44 primary household food purchasers with children (aged ≤ 8), between November 2020-March 2021, through 11 online focus groups and 5 in-depth interviews. Grounded theory was used to identify community-level perceived inequities, including influences of COVID-19 pandemic, SNAP and online grocery services. The most salient perceived causes of inequitable food access were neighborhood resource deficiencies and public transportation limitations. Rural communities, people with disabilities, older adults, racially and ethnically diverse groups were perceived to be disproportionately impacted by food inequities, which were exacerbated by the pandemic. The ability to use SNAP benefits to buy foods online facilitated healthy food access. Delivery fees and lack of control over food selection were barriers. Barriers to healthy food access aggravated by SNAP included social stigma, inability to acquire cooked meals, and inadequate amount of monthly funds. Findings provide a foundation for policy redesign to promote equitable healthy food systems.

The association between the observed and perceived neighbourhood food environment and household food insecurity in a low-income district in Lima, Peru.

The objective of the present study was to assess the association between the observed and perceived food environment and food insecurity among households with children <18 years in Lima, Peru. This was a cross-sectional study including an income-stratified random sample of households (n 329) in Villa el Salvador, a low-income district in Lima, Peru. Data were collected with a household questionnaire - including the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and the University of Pennsylvania's Perceived Nutrition Environment Survey (NEMS-P) - and a neighbourhood food outlet census, including recording of food outlets' GPS coordinates. Three-quarters of the households interviewed were food insecure. Compared with food secure households and adjusting for socio-demographic covariates, food insecure households were more likely to disagree to having easy access (OR 5⋅4; 95 % CI 2⋅1, 13⋅4), high quality (OR 3⋅1; 95 % CI 1⋅7, 5⋅5) and variety (OR 2⋅5; 95 % CI 1⋅4, 4⋅6) of fresh fruits and vegetables in their neighbourhood. About 60 % (513 out of 861) of the food outlets identified in participants' neighbourhoods were classified as fresh, including markets, bodegas, and fruit and vegetable vendors. There was no difference in distance to fresh food outlets by household food insecurity; all households were on average within 52-62 m from a fresh food outlet (~2-min walk). Despite negative perceptions of their neighbourhood food environment, food insecure households had similar physical access to fresh food sources than their food secure counterparts. Thus, changes to the food environment may not alleviate food insecurity in urban poor areas of Peru.

Main Retailers In Which Mexican Households Acquire Their Food Supply.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the frequency of food and beverages purchased made by Mexican households at different types of grocery retailers. DESIGN: A national cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Mexico. PARTICIPANTS: A representative sample of Mexican households (n = 70,311). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Household food and beverages purchases. ANALYSIS: The association between amounts of food and beverages supply bought in different food retailers (as outcome) and households' sociodemographic characteristics (as covariates) was assessed using logistic and linear regression models. RESULTS: Mexican households acquired their food and beverages primarily from abarrotes stores, followed by supermarkets and mercados and tianguis. Abarrotes stores and supermarkets were sources of unprocessed and processed foods. Specialized stores, mercados, and tianguis were primary sources of unprocessed foods. Households with low socioeconomic status and those in the central or southern regions acquired more foods from abarrotes stores, mercados and tianguis, and specialized stores. Households with high socioeconomic status and living in the northern region acquired more foods from supermarkets and convenience stores. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Abarrotes stores are the primary source of food and beverages for Mexican households; however, some interventions are needed to increase their supply of unprocessed foods. Public health interventions aiming at increasing access to unprocessed foods could be done through traditional retailers.

Food insecurity and coping strategies in international migrants in transit through Mexico.

Background: Although migrants in transit through Mexico have been known to consume insufficient food, data measuring food insecurity (FI) in this vulnerable population is scarce. This study assesses FI in migrants transiting Mexico by examining economic, physical and social food access. Methods: Using a mixed-methods design and a convenience sample of migrants residing in a temporary shelter in Saltillo, Coahuila in northern Mexico, we applied 1) the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (adapted), and 2) a semi-structured interview exploring FI coping strategies. Results: Of the 54 participants, 74.1% reported moderate or severe FI and 24.1% reported severe FI, especially reduced food quantity. Interviewees reported poverty, cargo train travel, and crime as FI contributing factors. All interviewees used FI coping strategies, principally altering food intake and using social resources. Many strategies reported implied negative consequences for both nutrition and general health. Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive assessment of FI in a mobile population using a standard international measure. Results confirm widespread and severe FI, highlighting a potential humanitarian crisis requiring both national and international attention. Further research is critical to inform strategies for guaranteeing the right to food access for migrants in transit through third (non-destination) countries.

Food Security, Access, and Challenges in New Mexico during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted food systems and economies across the United States. Public health measures, including stay-at-home orders, led to employment disruptions and food system shocks that increased barriers to food access. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine food insecurity and food access challenges in New Mexico (NM) during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a validated survey was conducted in NM in May and June 2020. Adults 18 y and older were recruited through convenience sampling via email, websites, and targeted social media ads from major universities, nongovernmental organizations, state agencies, and media outlets. Survey questions assessed food insecurity and food-related challenges and worry. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression examined relations between food insecurity and demographic characteristics. z Tests were used to compare the proportions of individuals who responded affirmatively to food challenge and worry questions between food-secure and food-insecure respondents. RESULTS: A total of 1487 residents participated in the study. Thirty percent of respondents reported experiencing food insecurity and 16% experienced very low food security since the pandemic started. Food insecurity was associated with each of 7 characteristics examined in bivariate logistic regression analyses. Multivariate logistic regression results showed that Hispanic (adjusted OR: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.18, 2.44) and female (adjusted OR: 1.78; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.90) respondents were more likely to experience food insecurity than non-Hispanic white and male respondents. Larger household sizes were associated with higher odds of food insecurity except for those in the lowest and highest income categories. z Tests showed that a higher proportion of food-insecure respondents experienced food-related challenges and worry than food-secure respondents. CONCLUSIONS: Disparities in food insecurity persisted during the COVID-19 pandemic and food-insecure individuals were more likely to report experiencing food-related challenges and worry. Researchers and policy makers in NM may consider continuing efforts to mitigate food access issues as the pandemic continues.

A qualitative inquiry of food insecurity in Belize.

OBJECTIVE: To explore and provide contextual meaning around issues surrounding food insecurity, namely factors influencing food access, as one domain of food security. DESIGN: A community-based, qualitative inquiry using semi-structured face-to-face interviews was conducted as part of a larger sequential mixed-methods study. SETTING: Cayo District, Belize, May 2019-August 2019. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty English-speaking individuals (eight males, twenty-two females) between the ages of 18-70, with varying family composition residing within the Cayo District. RESULTS: Participants describe a complex interconnectedness between family- and individual-level barriers to food access. Specifically, family composition, income, education and employment influence individuals' ability to afford and access food for themselves or their families. Participants also cite challenges with transportation and distance to food sources and educational opportunities as barriers to accessing food. CONCLUSION: These findings provide insight around food security and food access barriers in a middle-income country and provide avenues for further study and potential interventions. Increased and sustained investment in primary and secondary education, including programmes to support enrollment, should be a priority to decreasing food insecurity. Attention to building public infrastructure may also ease burdens around accessing foods.

Use Database to Evaluate the Prevalence of Hunger Among Adolescents in Brazil.

Food insecurity and malnutrition have become serious problems in many countries. In recent years, Brazil has experienced an increase in the prevalence of food insecurity and hunger. However, there is limited information on the status of these issues, and food security assessments are only performed as household measures. Therefore, the use of available databases is essential to expand information and support decision-making in the fight against food insecurity. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between reports of hunger among adolescents and their sociodemographic characteristics. We used data from the 2015 National School Health Survey. The main variable of interest was obtained from responses to the following question: "Over the past 30 days, how often have you gone hungry because you did not have enough food at home?". The responses were separately gathered from those who reported going hungry and those who did not. Socioeconomic characteristics were evaluated simultaneously. For statistical analysis, a Pearson chi-square test and multiple analyses were performed using Poisson regression models. A total of 101,888 adolescents were evaluated. The variable used to measure hunger was associated with maternal education, internet access, and fruit intake. The results showed a positive association between adolescents who reported going hungry and women, black and indigenous adolescent students living in households with more than five people, adolescents not living with their father, and adolescents planning to work or not knowing what they will do after completing the ninth grade. The results demonstrate that it is possible to use secondary data with a single question to assess, monitor, and provide insights into how food security impacts the sociodemographic groups differently.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Brazilian Community Restaurants for the Dimension of Low-Income People Access to Food.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of community restaurants (CRs), managed by the Government of the State of Bahia/Brazil, for the dimension of access to food. The study used secondary data obtained from the public opinion survey Profile of users of community restaurants in Salvador. The nutritional information was accessed through the analysis of CRs' menus. Adequate effectiveness of access to food was considered when the CR served meals to 50% to 70% of the users considered the target audience (individuals served by the two CRs located in the city of Salvador/Bahia/Brazil). The participants (n = 1464; 778 as low-income individuals) were adult CR users from Salvador/Brazil. Most of the respondents were male, 40 to 54 years old, not white, had up to 9 years of formal education, without a partner, and living in the municipality of Salvador. The evaluated CRs are effective in serving 53.1% of the target population in their total service capacity. Meal provision only reached an estimated 0.7% of the socially vulnerable community in the district. The average energy value of the meal served by the CR units was 853.05 kcal/meal, with a mean energy density composition classified as average (1.15 kcal/g). The effectiveness of the evaluated community restaurants showed that these instruments were minimally effective in promoting access to food for the low-income population within their total daily service capacity, and the current quantity of these facilities was insufficient. However, these instruments stand out in the fundamental role of promoting the daily distribution of meals to the Brazilian population with the highest social vulnerability levels.

Imbricadas entre as dimensões de acesso e exposição: práticas alimentares de mães na Amazônia ocidental brasileira / Intertwined between the dimensions of access and exposure: eating practices of mothers living in the western Brazilian Amazon

Resumo Este estudo investigou como as condições socioeconômicas de mães que residem na área urbana de Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, interagem com o acesso a alimentos, tendo como foco as motivações envolvidas nas escolhas dos locais de aquisição de alimentos e dos tipos de alimentos adquiridos. Os métodos de produção de dados empregados foram a entrevista em profundidade e observação participante com 20 mulheres, posteriormente classificadas em diferentes grupos socioeconômicos. A partir de análise de conteúdo identificamos quatro principais fatores considerados pelas participantes para pensar os alimentos e seus locais de aquisição: preço, variedade, praticidade e estratégias. Nossos resultados apontam que disparidades socioeconômicas influenciam o acesso a alimentos por meio da valorização de alguns aspectos em detrimento de outros no processo de escolha alimentar, culminando em distintas motivações e formas de aquisição de alimentos. Logo, em um nível local, o acesso aos locais de compra e a aquisição de alimentos são fortemente influenciados pelas condições socioeconômicas, fazendo com que as práticas alimentares de grupos socioeconômicos díspares se diferenciem de forma polarizada, como a valorização de alimentos regionais e a distinção destes em relação aos alimentos "de fora".

Abstract This study investigated how the socioeconomic status of mothers living in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre relates to food access, focusing on the interactions between socioeconomic status and motivations in the process of food choice and food acquisition. Thus the methodological approach chosen to collect data were in-depth interviews and participant observation with 20 women, which were later classified into different socioeconomic status groups. Through a content analysis method, we identified four main factors that mothers considered in the food choice and food acquisition processes: Price, Variety, Convenience, and Strategies. Our results emphasize that socioeconomic inequality influences food access through enhancing some aspects above others in the food choice process, ensuing in different motivations and ways to purchase food. Therefore, on a local level, access to food stores and food acquisition is deeply influenced by socioeconomic status, hence the different socioeconomic status groups' eating practices contrasting very much polarized, such phenomenon is seen by the regional food valorization and the distinction of the regional food compared to the "outside" food.

Factors Associated with Seasonal Food Insecurity among Small-Scale Subsistence Farming Households in Rural Honduras.

In the context of climate change, a nutritional transition, and increased pressures to migrate internally and internationally, this study examined the relationship between seasonal food insecurity and demographic, socioeconomic, and agricultural production factors among small-scale subsistence farmers in rural northern Honduras. Anchored by a partnership with the Fundación para la Investigación Participativa con Agricultores de Honduras (FIPAH) and the Yorito Municipal Health Centre, a cross-sectional household survey was administered in Yorito, Honduras, in July 2014. The study population included 1263 individuals from 248 households across 22 rural communities. A multivariate mixed effects negative binomial regression model was built to investigate the relationship between the self-reported number of months without food availability and access from subsistence agriculture in the previous year (August 2013-July 2014) and demographic, socioeconomic, and agricultural production variables. This study found a lengthier 'lean season' among surveyed household than previously documented in Honduras. Overall, 62.2% (95% confidence interval (CI): [59.52, 64.87]) of individuals experienced at least four months of insufficient food in the previous year. Individuals from poorer and larger households were more likely to experience insufficient food compared to individuals from wealthier and smaller households. Additionally, individuals from households that produced both maize and beans were less likely to have insufficient food compared to individuals from households that did not grow these staple crops (prevalence ratio (PR) = 0.83; 95% CI: [0.69, 0.99]). Receiving remittances from a migrant family member did not significantly reduce the prevalence of having insufficient food. As unpredictable crop yields linked to climate change and extreme weather events are projected to negatively influence the food security and nutrition outcomes of rural populations, it is important to understand how demographic, socioeconomic, and agricultural production factors may modify the ability of individuals and households engaged in small-scale subsistence agriculture to respond to adverse shocks.

Backyard poultry production in Chile: animal health management and contribution to food access in an upper middle-income country.

Backyard production systems (BPS) that involve poultry are a good way to improve food security and poverty alleviation. Few studies have been carried out to quantify the contribution of poultry production to these households and the constraints they might face if a priority animal disease enters these systems. This study aims to characterize the poultry-rearing BPS in central Chile and to identify socio-economic factors associated to households' consumption of poultry. Data was collected from 384 BPS through a face-to-face semi-structured questionnaire. Value chain framework associated with BPS poultry rearing and cash flow analysis of BPS was done to identify the inputs/outputs of the system and to know the profitability of the system. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify the BPS and household factors associated to poultry consumption. The results of this study suggest that BPS in central Chile have biosecurity deficiencies such as: lack of confinement, lack of veterinary assistance and incorrect handling of dead animals. Cash flow analysis indicated that 62% of the BPS had a positive balance from production. Distance to closest market and per capita income were factors associated to poultry value to farmers. Different factors were significant predictors of household poultry consumption. Positive predictors of consumption were identified as: (i) older owners, (ii) higher transportation price to closest market, (iii) larger flock size (iv) birds raised by women and (v) owning a car. On the contrary, (i) higher per capita income and (ii) bigger household size predicted a reduction in consumption. The results indicate the importance of BPS to low-income families and those living in remote areas while also highlighting the vulnerability of these systems to disease risks.