Insegurança alimentar na comunidade acadêmica durante a pandemia Covid-19 - Brazuca Covid

Abstract

Food insecurity is present when the individual has limited or uncertain ability to acquire food adequately. The pandemic caused by the advance of the new coronavirus, generated the interruption of the daily activities of the population, due to the need for social distance to stop the advance of the disease. In Brazil, one of the measures was the suspension of classes, including at Universities, with possible impacts on the life habits of a vast contingent that make up the academic community. This study aimed to investigate food insecurity in the academic community of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) during the pandemic. This is a cross-sectional study with collection from an online questionnaire between October 2020 and February 2021 with undergraduate students, graduate students, technicaladministrative staff and professors. The questionnaire contained socioeconomic variables and the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (EBIA), already validated. The average age of the participants was 27 years, most were female (65.7%) and 30.2% had an income between 1 and 3 minimum wages. Food insecurity was higher among undergraduate students with 34.4% mild food insecurity, 10.6% moderate food insecurity, 5.5% food insecurity. Logistic regressions showed that the highest ORs for food insecurity were associated with undergraduate students (AOR = 10.74; 95% CI = 5.50 – 20.95) and graduate students (AOR = 5.25; CI 95% 95% = 2.60 - 10.73). The change in income during the pandemic increased the chance of food insecurity, both when there was a decrease in income (AOR = 3.03; 95% CI = 2.34 - 3.91) and for an increase in income (AOR = 1 .81; 95% CI = 1.22 - 2.70). Food insecurity was also associated with weight gain or loss during the pandemic (AOR = 2.02; 95% CI = 1.28 - 3.20; AOR = 2.23; 95% CI = 1.39 - 3, 65, respectively). Thus, the study demonstrated a significant presence of food insecurity in the academic community, especially among undergraduate and graduate students. Therefore, this population must be prioritized in public policies that meet the needs of this vulnerable condition.