Through their eyes: experiences of food insecurity among public elementary school students in Aparecida de Goiânia, Brazil

Abstract

Childhood food insecurity is typically assessed through household surveys, often relying on caregiver reports rather than children's perspectives. However, there is currently no globally accepted tool designed to evaluate childhood food insecurity directly from children under 15. This dissertation addresses that gap through a three-part study carried out in Aparecida de Goiânia, Brazil. The first chapter presents a literature review that contextualizes food insecurity both globally and locally, emphasizing the influence of socioeconomic and political factors on access to food. It also highlights the significance of Brazil’s National School Feeding Program (PNAE) and the limitations of using only parental reports to assess children's food insecurity. The second chapter, presented in article format, explores the direct experiences of 173 elementary school students (ages 6–14) using a child-centered food insecurity questionnaire adapted from UNICEF. Data were collected over a four-month period in 2024 through in-person interviews led by a local nonprofit organization and the research team. Findings revealed that 14.5% of the children were experiencing severe food insecurity, 39.9% moderate, 39.3% mild, and only 6.4% were food secure. There was a clear relationship between food security and meal frequency: students classified as food secure were more likely to consume four or more meals daily, while those with severe food insecurity reported consuming fewer meals, especially on weekends. Hunger before bedtime was also significantly higher among students experiencing food insecurity. The third chapter presents a comparative analysis of child versus parent responses. Among a subsample of 29 matched parent-child pairs, 62% showed disagreement in food insecurity classification, with children often reporting more severe conditions than their caregivers. Parent data also provided additional demographic context, including race, marital status, and income, and results indicated correlations between food insecurity levels and socioeconomic indicators. Racial disparities were notable, with Black students and parents reporting the highest levels of food insecurity. Altogether, the dissertation highlights the value of incorporating children’s voices into food insecurity research. The findings suggest that caregiver-only assessments may underestimate childhood food insecurity and that factors such as income, race, and household dynamics influence perceived and experienced food insecurity in different ways. By combining child and adult data, this study provides a more comprehensive picture of food insecurity in Brazilian public schools and calls for the expansion of child-inclusive tools in future national and international research