Validation of a food security experience scale among indigenous populations in Brazil.

Background: Assessing food and nutrition security among indigenous populations in Brazil is challenging due to their significant cultural and linguistic diversity. This study aimed to validate a national food insecurity measurement scale for indigenous peoples in Brazil (EBIA-I).

Methods: A total of 495 indigenous households, from 15 rural communities and one urban area, were included in the analyses. Internal psychometric validity scale was tested with the Rasch Model, and external validity was examined with bivariate analyses.

Results: An 8-item scale was internally valid (Infit values ranged between 0.7 and 1.3), 6 of the items referred to households with children under 16 years of age, 5 to households only with residents aged 16 years or more, with 3 being common to both. The external validity of the EBIA-I was high, as shown by the significantly lower prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity, in households where some members regularly received income vs. those not receiving any income, 17.5% vs. 30.6%, respectively. Likewise, interviewees who self-reported good/very good health vs. poor/very poor health status were less likely to experience moderate or severe food insecurity (19.1% vs. 34.8%).

Conclusions: EBIA-I is a valid scale with strong potential to inform decisions by policymakers and to support indigenous organizations monitoring, addressing, and advocating for policies to prevent or mitigate food and nutrition insecurity in their communities.