Home food insecurity during the suspension of classes in Brazilian public schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate the effect of socioeconomic conditions and variables related to the COVID-19 pandemic on the food insecurity of students during suspension of classes in public schools. METHODS: This was a telephone survey (n = 612) of adults responsible for purchasing food through representative samples of students in two Brazilian municipalities in June and July 2020. The outcome was food insecurity, assessed using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CIs) for sociodemographic and pandemic-related factors of COVID-19. RESULTS: The total prevalence of food insecurity in households was 82%, with 65.7% mild food insecurity, 11.3% moderate, and 5.0% severe. After adjustment for confounding factors, households with the highest number of children (OR = 2.17; 95% CI, 1.10–4.27) and households that received local-government basic food baskets (OR = 1.64; 95% CI, 1.04–2.58) were significantly associated with food insecurity. Furthermore, households that did not experience a decrease in income during the pandemic were inversely associated with food insecurity (OR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.09–0.32). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of food insecurity was high, and policies for the distribution of food baskets may not be sufficient to guarantee food security for the most vulnerable families with a greater number of children. Considering the possible worsening of food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the National School Feeding Program has the potential to play a strategic role in promoting food security for students.