(IN) FOOD SECURITY IN FAMILIES OF STUDENTS OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN A MUNICIPALITY IN THE INTERIOR OF MARANHÃO

Abstract

Food and nutritional security, although a right guaranteed to all, continues to be disrespected and neglected, especially in vulnerable communities. The objective of this research was to investigate the situation of food (in)security in families of students at a public school in a municipality in the interior of Maranhão. This is a cross-sectional study, developed in a federal public school, from September 2022 to August 2023, in the municipality of Barreirinhas-MA. The sample consisted of 94 participants/households. Data collection took place through interviews, with the application of two forms: the first, referring to the socioeconomic and demographic data of the families and the second, the Brazilian Food Security Scale (EBIA). The associations between the exposure and outcome variables (food insecurity) were measured using Poisson regression with robust variance and their respective 95% confidence intervals (p<0.05). The software used was STATA®. 14.0. The results showed that 59.57% of the households assessed were in a situation of food insecurity; being 40 years or older was a protective factor for food insecurity (PR=0.66; 95% CI: 0.45–0.99; p=0.043); while belonging to the lowest social classes C, D and E was a risk factor for the outcome (PR=3.63; 95% CI: 1.08–12.20; p=0.037). Thus, more than half of the families investigated were in a situation of food insecurity. The associated factors highlight the urgent need for comprehensive public policies aimed at reducing socioeconomic inequality and improving access to food in terms of quantity and quality for this vulnerable population.