Purchase of food for away-from-home consumption according to urban and rural areas of Brazil between 2002 and 2018.

Objective: To analyze the differences in the evolution of purchasing food for consumption away from home between urban and rural areas of Brazil, from 2002 to 2018.

Methods: Population data from 245,711 adults (25-59 years old) from the Consumer Expenditure Survey, of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, of 2002-2003, 2008-2009, and 2017-2018 were used. The foods were grouped into ten nutritional and marketing categories and the frequency of purchasing food for consumption outside the home was compared according to urban and rural areas of Brazil and geographic regions of the country. Differences between areas were considered when the 95% confidence intervals of the estimates did not overlap.

Results: We found an increase in the purchase of food for consumption outside the home in urban areas between 2002-2003 and 2008-2009, followed by a reduction in 2017-2018. In rural areas, the frequency remained stable over the years. Regarding the food groups, there was a reduction in the purchase of soft drinks and alcoholic beverages and an increase in the frequency of meals away from home. The differences between urban and rural areas varied according to the regions of Brazil.

Conclusion: The purchase of food for consumption outside the home between 2002 and 2018 was different in urban and rural areas of the country; nevertheless, the rural area is approaching the urban area. These results highlight the new context of rural life and the need to evaluate eating behaviors in this area.