Food availability and food insecurity in households in the state of Tocantins, Northern Brazil

ABSTRACT Objective To assess the relationship between food availability, food insecurity and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of households in the urban area of the state of Tocantins. Methods Population-based, cross-sectional study conducted in 594 households in the urban area of 22 municipalities in the state of Tocantins. A survey was carried out in the households, to collect socioeconomic and data, and assess food insecurity using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Further a food availability questionnaire was applied by the interviewer with the head of the family, who reported on the food and drinks available at home in the last 30 days. The description of the food available in the households resulted in a total of 142 food items that were grouped according to the NOVA classification of foods. demographic Results It was found that 63.3% of households were in a situation of food insecurity. The median caloric availability found was 2,771.4kcal/per capita/day, with the largest caloric contribution coming from fresh and minimally processed foods, regardless of the degree of food insecurity. Food availability was affected by socioeconomic vulnerability and the situation of food insecurity in the families.