Food insecurity of families served by the Bolsa Familia Program in Apucarana, Paraná

Abstract

Food and Nutrition Security involves regular and permanent access to enough amount of good quality food and income is one of the factors that determines this situation. Since the maternal and child group is more vulnerable, attention to food becomes indispensable, so that there is adequate growth and development, this study aimed to identify the prevalence of food and nutritional insecurity of families with young children under five years old beneficiaries of the Bolsa Familia Program. The tool used was the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale of Food Insecurity questionnaire, capable of diagnosing food insecurity of the families and nutritional anthropometry, to evaluate the nutritional status of the children. Twenty-four families living in the territory of the Eunice Penharbel Basic Health Unit, located in the Sumatra I Housing Complex, in Apucarana – Paraná, participated in the study. Of these, 83% were food insecure, a factor that was positively related to the inadequacy of nutritional status of the some children. The Bolsa Familia Program can contribute to reduce the difficulty of access to food, but it does not guarantee food and nutritional security, since this is a multifactorial condition.