Challenges facing Food and Nutrition Security in the Amazon: availability and consumption in households with adolescents

Abstract

Food and nutritional insecurity remains a challenge to the accomplishment of the right to adequate food in the Brazilian scenario. The scope of this study was to analyze the food and nutrition insecurity situation of adolescents both in households and on an individual level. A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted with 363 households and 95 adolescents in urban municipalities of the Brazilian Amazon. Food and nutrition insecurity was measured using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Linear regression was used in the analysis of the gross and adjusted effect of food and nutrition insecurity on availability and consumption. The prevalence of food and nutrition insecurity in households was 51.8%, increased availability and consumption of food sources of energy and low consumption of vegetables, fruits and legumes. The linear model analysis of variance showed dependency between food insecurity and the effect of the frequency of availability of food and food consumption. The results highlight the challenge of implementing public policies, in the light of unhealthy food consumption as an aspect of permanent nutritional, corporal and emotional impairment in adulthood.

Food and nutrition security; Adolescent behavior; Amazonian ecosystem; Public policies