Food environment as an aggravating factor of food insecurity among Brazilian public school students: ESANP study

Abstract

The social restriction measures of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the families' access to food. This study aims to describe the relationship between perception of access to fruits and vegetables (FV) and ultra-processed foods (UPF) sold in the neighborhood of municipal public school students, and the prevalence of food insecurity (FI) during suspension of classes in two Brazilian municipalities. A cross-sectional study with a representative sample was conducted through telephone interviews. FI was assessed using the Brazilian Scale of Food Insecurity (EBIA) and the food environment through questions about the perception of access to FV and UPF. Among the 475 households investigated, 69.7% were experiencing FI. The majority demonstrated a positive perception regarding the ease of acquisition (64.0%), quality (67.6%), and variety (57.9%) of FV sold in the neighborhood. Regarding cost, 73.1% disagreed that FV were cheap, with this prevalence being higher in households with FI and lower income. In contrast, the majority agreed that it is easy to buy UPF (85.9%) and that those are available in a wide variety (78.9%).