Citation

Maia I, Monjardino T, Lucas R, Ramos E, Santos AC. Int. J. Public Health 2019; 64(6): 887-895.

Affiliation

Departamento de Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses e Educação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00038-019-01243-y

PMID

30993351

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the prevalence and the socio-demographic determinants of food insecurity among young adults at a time of economic crisis recovery.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study including 954 young adults (26 years old) from the EPITeen cohort (Porto, Portugal) was conducted. Food security status was evaluated using the US Household Food Security Survey Module: Six-Item Short Form. Associations between socio-demographic characteristics (sex, education, occupation, household size and structure and household income perception) and food insecurity were estimated using logistic regression.

RESULTS: At a time of economic crisis recovery, 11.0% of young adults experienced food insecurity. A higher odds of belonging to a food insecure household was observed in participants reporting an insufficient household income (OR = 23.3; 95% CI 11.3-47.8), those with less education (OR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.0-2.8), lower white-collar workers (OR = 2.3; 95% CI 1.2-4.2) and those living within a nuclear family including a partner and/or children (OR = 2.0; 95% CI 1.1-3.7).

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the need for interventions targeting those from lower income, from nuclear families of young adults with a partner and/or descendants, less educated and with non-manual unskilled occupations, to reduce food insecurity, particularly in economic vulnerable settings.

Language: en

Keywords

EPITeen; Food insecurity; Prevalence; Young adults