Association between social cohesion and food insecurity among adults in southern Brazil

Abstract

Abstract Background The situation of food insecurity (FI) has grown worldwide in recent years, especially in developing countries. Studies have shown that aspects of the social environment, such as social cohesion in the neighborhood, may be associated with FI; however, in Brazil, this topic has been little explored. The objective of this study is to verify the association between aspects of the perceived social environment of the neighborhood (social cohesion) and FI. Methods This is a cross-sectional study with adults and elderly individuals (n = 400) residing in a healthcare region in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). The sample is selected proportionally from areas of higher and lower socioeconomic status, and data are collected through household interviews. The presence of FI is assessed using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (short version). The perception of the neighborhood regarding social cohesion is obtained using a questionnaire validated for the Brazilian population. Poisson regression with robust variance was used to estimate the crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Results Individuals with more positive perceptions of social cohesion in the neighborhood are less likely to experience FI than are those with less positive perceptions [PR = 0.73; 95% CI (0.55–0.97)]. Conclusions The community social environment is independently associated with FI and may have characteristics that positively influence the probability of individuals experiencing FI. Interventions at the community level are necessary to address FI.