Food Insecurity and Associated Factors in Brazilian Undergraduates during the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 14; no. 2; p. 358
• Main Authors: Maciel, Bruna Leal Lima, Lyra, Clélia de Oliveira, Gomes, Jéssica Raissa Carlos, Rolim, Priscilla Moura, Gorgulho, Bartira Mendes, Nogueira, Patrícia Simone, Rodrigues, Paulo Rogério Melo, da Silva, Tiago Feitosa, Martins, Fernanda Andrade, Dalamaria, Tatiane, Santos, Thanise Sabrina Souza, Höfelmann, Doroteia Aparecida, Crispim, Sandra Patricia, Slater, Betzabeth, Ramalho, Alanderson Alves, Marchioni, Dirce Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 14.01.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Brazil - epidemiology; Chronic illnesses; College students; Colleges & universities; Color; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet - statistics & numerical data; diet quality; Disease transmission; Extracurricular activities; Female; Food Insecurity; Food quality; Food security; Food Supply - statistics & numerical data; Households; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Mental health; nutrition; Nutrition research; Pandemics; Quality assessment; Questionnaires; SARS-CoV-2; Socioeconomic Factors; Students; Students - statistics & numerical data; Surveys and Questionnaires; Universities; University students; Variables; Weight reduction; Young Adult; Brazil; nutrition; diet quality; food security
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu14020358

Undergraduates may face challenges to assure food security, related to economic and mental distress, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess food insecurity and its associated factors in undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2020 to February 2021 with 4775 undergraduates from all Brazilian regions. The questionnaire contained socio-economic variables, the validated Brazilian food insecurity scale, and the ESQUADA scale to assess diet quality. The median age of the students was 22.0 years, and 48.0% reported income decreasing with the pandemic. Food insecurity was present in 38.6% of the students, 4.5% with severe food insecurity and 7.7% moderate. Logistic regressions showed students with brown and black skin color/race presented the highest OR for food insecurity; both income and weight increase or reduction during the pandemic was also associated with a higher OR for food insecurity, and better diet quality was associated with decreased OR for food insecurity. Our study showed a considerable presence of food insecurity in undergraduates. Policy for this population must be directed to the most vulnerable: those with brown and black skin color/race, who changed income during the pandemic, and those presented with difficulties maintaining weight and with poor diet quality.