Validación de un instrumento para vigilar la inseguridad alimentaria en la Sierra de Manantlán, Jalisco

Abstract

Objective. To validate a version of the Food Security Scale (FSS) in communities located in Sierra de Manantlán, Jalisco. Material and Methods. Using focus groups, the FSS was modified to fit the Mexican context. Subsequently, a survey was applied to women with pre-school aged children. The FSS was validated in correlation with a household food in- ventory and the dietary variety of the individual being inter- viewed. The interview also included a socioeconomic questionnaire. Results. Forty-four percent of the house- holds reported mild food insecurity, 33% reported mode- rate hunger and 19.7% reported severe hunger. Food insecurity was significantly and inversely correlated with the number of food items in the household (r=-0.36**), animal source foods (r=-0.28**), dairy products (r=-0.25*), pro- cessed foods (r=-0.37**), fruits (r=-0.21*), and vegetables (r=-0.28**); *p<0.05, **p< 0.01. Food insecurity was also associated with low dietary variety (r=-0.23, p=0.02). The- se associations were maintained in multivariate models. Conclusions. The FSS is a useful tool for monitoring food insecurity in rural regions of Jalisco.