Food and nutrition security in families with children under five years old in the city of Campina Grande, Paraíba.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence and identify the socioeconomic risk factors for food insecurity in households with children under five years in the city of Campina Grande, Paraíba. METHODS This cross-sectional study involved 793 families with children assisted in municipal day care centers in Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil. Household socioeconomic variables were analyzed as the possible predictors of mild food insecurity and moderate/severe food insecurity. For the evaluation of food and nutrition security of households, the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale was used. RESULTS Mild food insecurity was characterized in 37.6% of families, and moderate/severe food insecurity affected 31.6% of households. Regarding the household socioeconomic variables, none was associated with mild food insecurity. Meanwhile, the highest prevalence of moderate/severe food insecurity, when compared with reference categories, was present in households without water treatment for drinking purposes, with toilets that are not flushable and individual, with larger families, and without a refrigerator. Being a beneficiary, or not, of the social welfare program "Bolsa Familia" did not represent a factor associated with food insecurity. CONCLUSIONS The results show high rates of food insecurity with the most severe degrees being related to factors dependent on the family purchasing power, indicating a major challenge for them.