Food and nutrition security public initiatives from a human and socioeconomic development perspective: mapping experiences within the 1996 World Food Summit signatories.

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. In a global scenario where hunger and obesity affect millions of people, public actions have been developed towards Food and Nutrition Security (FNS). In 1996 during the World Food Summit, 186 countries signed the Rome Declaration, committing themselves to assess and address Food and Nutrition Insecurity. In this exploratory study, we compile secondary internet data using keywords in four languages to map the global distribution, among signatories, of FNS public initiatives and assess their association with key national-level socioeconomic indicators. As a result, we found FNS public policies in 123 countries, reports on the state of FNS in 139 countries, and the presence of both in 114 countries (61%). The proportion of countries with any type of, as well as with specific, FNS policy or diagnostic was higher in least developed countries. There was a statistically significant association between these proportions and selected national-level socioeconomic variables. The results are discussed along with population vulnerability, international cooperation mechanisms and political discourse and how these factors impact the existence of FNS public actions.

Meanings attributed to breastfeeding in the first two years of life: a study with women from two municipalities in the Recôncavo Baiano region of Bahia, Brazil / Sentidos atribuídos à adoção da amamentação nos dois primeiros anos de vida da criança: estudo com mulheres de dois municípios do Recôncavo da Bahia

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the maternal meanings attributed to breastfeeding during the child's first two years of life. METHODS: This qualitative, exploratory and analytical study involved mothers that participated in a cohort from a larger study done in the municipalities of Mutuipe and Laje in the Recôncavo area of the State of Bahia, Brazil. The methodological resources included thorough individual interviews and thematic analysis. The meanings were analyzed by the theoretical framework of sociological phenomenology. RESULTS: The meanings stated by the mothers show the singularity of breastfeeding, the importance of family, spousal and health practitioner support, and knowledge about the benefits of breastfeeding for the mother's and child's health and nutritional status. CONCLUSION: The meanings attributed to breastfeeding in the child's first two years of life reflected the influences of complex networks of social relationships of the mother's social and cultural context and of the scientific and biomedical discourse.

OBJETIVO: O estudo teve como objetivo desvelar os sentidos maternos atribuídos à adoção da prática da amamentação nos dois primeiros anos de vida da criança. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de estudo qualitativo e exploratório envolvendo mães que integraram a coorte de uma investigação mais ampla, desenvolvida nos municípios de Mutuípe e Laje, no Recôncavo da Bahia, Brasil. Utilizaram-se como recursos metodológicos a técnica da entrevista individual em profundidade e a análise temática. Os sentidos desvelados foram analisados à luz do referencial teórico da fenomenologia sociológica. RESULTADOS: Dentre os sentidos externalizados pelas mães, figuraram as singularidades da vivência com a amamentação, a importância do suporte familiar/cônjuge e dos profissionais de saúde e o conhecimento sobre a importância do aleitamento materno para o estado de saúde e nutrição da criança e da mãe. CONCLUSÃO: Os sentidos atribuídos à adoção do aleitamento materno por mães nos dois primeiros anos de vida da criança refletiram influências do contexto sociocultural materno e do discurso científico-biomédico, configuradas em complexas redes de relacionamentos sociais.

Factors associated with food insecurity in households of public school students of Salvador City, Bahia, Brazil.

This cross-sectional study was conducted to find out the factors associated with food insecurity (FI) in households of the students aged 6-12 years in public schools of Salvador city, Bahia, Brazil. The study included 1,101 households. Food and nutritional insecurity was measured using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (BFIS). Data on socioeconomic and demographic characteristics as well as environmental and housing conditions were collected during the interviews conducted with the reference persons. Multivariate polytomous logistic regression was used in assessing factors associated with food insecurity. We detected prevalence of food insecurity in 71.3% of the households. Severe and moderate forms of FI were diagnosed in 37.1% of the households and were associated with: (i) female gender of the reference person in the households (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.47-3.31); (ii) a monthly per-capita income below one-fourth of the minimum wage (US$ 191.73) (OR 2.63, 95% CI 1.68-4.08); (iii) number of residents per bedroom below 3 persons (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.23-2.96); and (iv) inadequate housing conditions (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.12-4.49). Socioeconomic inequalities determine the factors associated with FI of households in Salvador, Bahia. Identifying vulnerabilities is necessary to support public policies in reducing food insecurity in the country. The results of the present study may be used in re-evaluating strategies that may limit the inequalities in school environment.

[Evaluation of Brazilian public policies to promote food security and fight hunger, 1995-2002. 2 - the Workers' Nutrition Program]. / Avaliação de políticas públicas de segurança alimentar e combate à fome no período 1995-2002: 2 - Programa de Alimentação do Trabalhador.

This study evaluated the Workers' Nutrition Program in Brazil from 1995 to 2002, from a structure-process-results perspective. The methodology involved documental research and a case study in 45 municipalities in the State of Bahia, resulting in 2,389 household interviews. In relation to structure, we analyzed the program's normative evolution until 2002. As for nutritional recommendations, the program shifted from insufficient calorie supply in the 1980s to a positive association between overweight and employment in companies adopting the Workers' Nutrition Program. In Bahia, overall program coverage was insufficient among the 5,120 adults 20 years or older who were interviewed. A significant difference was observed in access to food benefits among workers in the interior of the State (6.1%) as compared to the State capital, Salvador (26.1%). However, targeting was adequate: all workers benefiting from the program in the interior and 92.4% of those in Salvador earned less than five times the minimum wage (approximately US dollars 950/month). It is necessary to improve the program's coverage in the target population in order to raise workers' awareness about their rights and the actions developed by the program.