Association between social cohesion and food insecurity among adults living in a healthcare region in southern Brazil

Abstract

Background: 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, this topic has yet to be explored, in Brazil. This study aims 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 those with less positive perceptions [PR = 0.73; 95% CI (0.55–0.97)], after adjustments. 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.