Laboratory of Epidemiology and Data Analysis, University Health Center ABC, FMABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil.
Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Glob Health Promot. 2023 Mar;30(1):53-62. doi: 10.1177/17579759221107035. Epub 2022 Jul 26.
To evaluate the association of conditional cash transfer policies to mitigate the food insecurity (FI) among families living in poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ceará, Brazil.
An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out through telephone contact during the period of May-July 2021, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ceará. Families in a situation of high social and economic vulnerability participated in this study (monthly per capita income of less than US$16.50). FI was assessed using the EBIA, a Brazilian validated questionnaire. The participation of families in government programs and public policies was also investigated. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association of the several factors assessed with food insecurity.
The prevalence of any food insecurity in this sample was 89.1% (95% Confidence interval (95% CI: 86.2 - 92.1) and of severe food insecurity, 30.3% (95% CI: 26.0 - 34.6). The card program, adopted as a cash transfer supplement in the state of Ceará, was significantly associated with food insecurity (OR 4.2 (95% CI: 1.7 - 10.2), with a -value of 0.002. In addition, families affected by job losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic presented higher odds of FI.
In this study, 89% of evaluated families presented food insecurity. Conditional cash transfer programs were associated with FI. We highlight the need for policies and interventions to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity. Such policies can adopt appropriate criteria for defining the participants, as well as connect the participants to an appropriate set of broader social protection measures.
评估有条件现金转移政策对减轻巴西塞阿拉州 COVID-19 大流行期间贫困家庭粮食不安全（FI）的影响。
这是一项在 2021 年 5 月至 7 月 COVID-19 大流行第二波期间通过电话联系进行的分析性横断面研究。参与本研究的家庭处于高度社会和经济脆弱状态（月人均收入低于 16.50 美元）。使用巴西验证问卷 EBIA 评估 FI。还调查了家庭参与政府计划和公共政策的情况。使用逻辑回归模型评估评估的各种因素与粮食不安全之间的关联。
本样本中任何粮食不安全的患病率为 89.1%（95%置信区间（95%CI：86.2-92.1），严重粮食不安全的患病率为 30.3%（95%CI：26.0-34.6）。卡计划作为塞阿拉州的现金转移补充措施，与粮食不安全显著相关（OR 4.2（95%CI：1.7-10.2），P 值为 0.002。此外，因 COVID-19 大流行而失业的家庭发生 FI 的可能性更高。
在这项研究中，89%的被评估家庭存在粮食不安全问题。有条件的现金转移计划与 FI 相关。我们强调需要采取政策和干预措施来减轻 COVID-19 大流行对粮食不安全的影响。这些政策可以采用适当的标准来定义参与者，并将参与者与一整套更广泛的社会保护措施联系起来。
