Inequalities in food acquisition according to the social profiles of the head of households in Brazil

Abstract

Abstract Brazil is characterized by strong social inequalities and differences in access to quality food and sufficient quantities of it, which represent a violation of the human right to adequate food. The aim was to assess food expenditures according to the social profiles of the head of the households. Data from the cross-sectional Brazilian Household Budget Survey (2017/2018) were used with a nationally representative sample of household survey participants (n=52,917). Poisson regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) to assess the association of different social profiles with the acquisition of food. The profile characterized by woman self-classified as white, with a higher education, which characteristics were positively and significantly associated with more acquisition of fruits (PR=1.22; CI95% 1.09-1.36) and vegetables and greens (PR=1.24; CI95% 1.09-1.41). Black women with low education levels showed a negative association with the consumption of soda (PR=0.53; CI95% 0.45-0.62), and prepared food (PR=0.52; CI95% 0.37-0.74). The results reveal great inequalities in the purchase of food between the social profiles of the heads of the family.