Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Last years, food insecurity is a raising problem in Argentina and is a key indicator of population health. The principal aim of this study was to determine food insecurity prevalence in a population of Buenos Aires suburbs, considering as secondary objectives: 1) to evaluate associated variables with food insecurity; 2) to perform provisional statistical validation of the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES). METHODS: It was conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional research study was conducted. Check the FIES survey in people over 15 years of age in the Barrio Santa María in Bajo Boulogne, San Isidro district, Buenos Aires. A probabilistic sampling was carried out. The data will be analyzed following the Rasch model proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. RESULTS: 222 people were interviewed, finding a prevalence of moderate / severe food insecurity of 47.29% and severe of 6.57%. We found an independent association with a female head of household OR 2.22; (95%CI 1.27 to 3.87) and having more than 4 cohabitants in the home OR 2.24; (95%CI 1.25 to 4.02). The provisional validation of the FIES survey was carried out in our sample through the testing of the Rasch model assumptions. CONCLUSION: food insecurity is a problem present in our population. It was carried out the validation of an instrument to measure it, easy to apply and that allows valid comparisons between local and international measurements.