Seguridad alimentaria y su asociación con el estado nutricional en personas adultas mayores de la zona rural del Cantón 24 de Mayo, provincia de Manabí, Ecuador - 2022

Abstract

Background: Globally, 811 million people suffered from hunger in 2020, figures that increased due to Covid-19, making “zero hunger by 2030” unattainable (1). For this reason, people's food and nutritional security (SAN) is a challenge and it is necessary to examine its process in households and older adults (PAM). Objective: To analyze food security and its relationship with nutritional status in older adults in the rural area of the 24 de Mayo canton, Manabí province, Ecuador. Method: It was a cross-sectional study, with a sample of 344 older adults from the rural area of the 24 de Mayo canton, province of Manabí, which was calculated using the stratified random sampling method. The Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA) was used to measure household food insecurity and the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA®) to assess nutritional status.Results: 91% of PAM households presented mild food insecurity. 72% were found to be at risk of malnutrition. There was a relationship between the level of food insecurity and nutritional status, BMI, arm circumference, beneficiaries of the human development bonus, Internet use, sex and age. Conclusions: A large number of PAMs present a risk of malnutrition; There is a statistically significant relationship between the nutritional status assessed by the MNA, and the level of food security presented by households in the PAM.