Food Insecurity in the Community: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Portuguese and Immigrant Population of Amadora.

Abstract

Introduction: Food insecurity, defined as limited or uncertain access to adequate food, is recognized as a public health problem linked to poor eating habits, chronic diseases, and social inequalities. This study aims to characterize and compare food insecurity status among immigrant and Portuguese populations receiving primary healthcare in Amadora.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted based on interviews with individuals aged 18 and above, living in Amadora for at least 1 year. Sociodemographic and health status variables were collected, and food insecurity was assessed using a Portuguese-adapted version of the US Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module. Data analysis included binary logistic regression to explore the predictive capacity of variables, with food insecurity as the outcome.

Results: The estimated prevalence of household food insecurity was 29.7%, with 10.5% classified as severely food insecure. Single individuals (OR: 3.090; CI: 1.353-7.059), those with basic education (OR: 3.296; CI: 1.175-9.247); immigrants (OR: 4.358; CI: 2.206-8.611), households with three or more members (OR: 2.686; CI: 1.019-7.079), and incomes below EUR 1,100 (OR: 7.359; CI: 2.613-20.726) were more likely to belong to food insecure households. When Portuguese households were analyzed, low income (OR: 8.730; CI: 2.607-29.232) and smoking habits (OR: 3.375; CI: 1.345-8.469) were found to be potential determinants of food insecurity. As for immigrant households, being single (OR: 6.002; CI: 1.404-25.659), having a household with three or more members (OR: 13.953; CI: 2.119-91.887), and low income (OR: 7.110; CI: 1.257-40.226) increased the risk of food insecurity.

Conclusion: The results of this study show that food insecurity is significantly associated with sociodemographic and health factors, with differences between Portuguese and immigrant populations. Awareness of this problem and the need for monitoring should therefore be raised to prioritize community interventions.