Moderators of the effect of household food insecurity on food consumption among Uruguayan children and adolescents

Abstract

The aims of the present work were to examine the effect of food insecurity on food consumption among children/adolescents in Uruguay and to explore the moderating effect of socio-economic and demographic characteristics. The design consisted of an analysis of secondary data from a telephone survey (n = 1,504), applied to parents or tutors of children and adolescents living in Uruguay (September–October, 2020). Data were analyzed using logistic regression models and moderation analyses were run considering household socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Food insecurity reduced the likelihood of having consumed all food groups except for carbohydrate-based foods, whereas it increased the likelihood of consuming pulses. Age of the child/adolescent, being beneficiary of income transfers and state-provided food baskets significantly moderated the effect of food insecurity on the consumption of several food groups. Results suggest that a combination of cash transfers, subsidies and marketing restrictions hold potential to reduce food insecurity and its negative effects on diet.