Food and nutritional insecurity in families in the Brazilian rural environment: A systematic review

Abstract

This review sought to analyze food and nutritional insecurity in the Brazilian rural environment, and the measurement instruments used to assess this situation. A systematic review was conducted in the SciELO, PubMed and CAPES databases, using the search terms: ‘food security’ and ‘rural,' Subsequently, a reverse search was performed in the 12 articles selected. The inclusion criteria were: original articles related to food and nutritional (in)security in the Brazilian rural population. Twelve studies were included. Most of them used the Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar - EBIA (Brazilian Scale for Food Insecurity) and socioeconomic questionnaires to assess food insecurity (FI), an association being found between them. Five studies addressed the nutritional aspect by anthropometry but found no association with FI. Food consumption was assessed by four studies and an association was detected. The results show a high prevalence of FI in rural areas in relation to the population analyzed in the Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílio - PNAD (National Household Sample Survey) in the years 2009 and 2013, as well as a high prevalence of severe FI. The conclusion reached is that the rural environment is vulnerable, mainly regarding food and nutritional issues and the associated socioeconomic determinants.