Gender and skin color/race intersections in food insecurity across Brazilian households

Abstract

Food insecurity is distributed unequally throughout Brazilian regions. This study aims to investigate the intersections of gender and skin color/ race in the cases of food insecurity in households across Brazil. Microdata from the 2018 Brazilian Household Budgets Survey (POF) were used, with a sample of 57,920 households. Food insecurity levels were compared to profiles created from the intersection of gender (man and woman) and skin color/race: white man, white woman, mixed-race man, mixed-race woman, black man, and black woman. Prevalence ratios (PR) were estimated using Poisson regression models to investigate the association of profiles with moderate/severe food insecurity, separated by macroregion. The North had the worst proportions of all food insecurity levels (57%), followed by Northeast (50.4%). The North, Northeast, and Central-West macroregions had prevalence of moderate/severe food insecurity up to five times higher among households headed by women compared to those headed by men (p < 0.001). Moderate/severe food insecurity was associated to households headed by black women in all macroregions of Brazil, but prevalence ratios in Southeast were higher compared to other regions for mixed-race women (PR = 1.16; 95%CI: 1.13-1.20), while the PR was higher in South for black women (PR = 1.17; 95%CI: 1.13-1.21). Outcomes suggest that the intersectional food insecurity data in Brazil – focused on gender, skin color/race and macroregion of residence – should be considered for policies aimed at reducing hunger and related issues.