Sex differences in the relationship between food insecurity and weight status in Brazil

Obesity and undernutrition are manifestations of malnutrition that affect many people worldwide. A lack of access to food may explain the association of food insecurity (FI) with both undernutrition and obesity, but there are other factors that are specifically related to obesity. Studies have also found that FI is related to both overweight and obesity among women but not among men. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between FI and weight status among adults from a nationally representative sample of Brazil and to consider the impacts of sex. Data from the 2017-2018 Household Budget Survey (n 28 112), a national cross-sectional study, were analysed using the Brazilian Household FI Scale (EBIA) and BMI (measured in kg/m²) by individual self-reported weight and height. Associations were estimated by OR with 95 % CI considering a multinomial logistic regression model. Women with severe FI were more than twice (OR = 2·36) as likely to be underweight and had a higher frequency of obesity (OR = 1·39). Among men, severe FI status was a protective factor for overweight (OR = 0·58) and obesity (OR = 0·61). In conclusion, FI was a risk factor for underweight and obesity among women but not among men.