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Social and ethnic-racial inequities in the occurrence of food deserts in a Brazilian state capital

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  • Daniely Casagrande Borges

    (Postgraduate Program in Food, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Medicine – Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS))

  • Júlio Celso Borello Vargas

    (Postgraduate Program in Urban Planning – Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS))

  • Olivia Souza Honório

    (Graduate Program in Health and Nutrition – Federal University of Ouro Preto (UFOP))

  • Larissa Loures Mendes

    (Postgraduate Program in Nutrition and Health and Postgraduate Program in Public Health – Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG))

  • Raquel Canuto

    (Postgraduate Program in Food, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Medicine – Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS))

Abstract

This study described the occurrence of food deserts and its relationship with the socioeconomic characteristics of the area. This is an ecological study based on secondary data from the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil. Food deserts were defined based on the density of establishments that sell healthy foods. The socioeconomic variables analyzed were the Health Vulnerability Index (HVI), percentage of illiterate people, percentage of people with per capita income of up to half a minimum wage, and percentage of households made up of people who identify as Black, Brown or Indigenous. Statistical and spatial analyses were conducted using census tracts as units of analysis. Almost half of the census tracts were classified as food deserts (n = 1150/48.3%), with higher concentration in the peripheral areas of the city. Tracts with a high risk of health vulnerability (very high HVI), those with the highest percentage of black and indigenous peoples (Quartile 4), the highest percentage of illiterate people (Quartile 4), and the highest percentage of people living on less than $$^{1}/_{5}$$ 1 / 5 minimum wage (Quartile 4), were about twice as likely to be classified as a food desert. For all variables, a dose-response relationship was observed. The results show that in the city of Porto Alegre food deserts were associated with worse environmental and social conditions, and a greater presence of ethnic-racial minority groups. Social and ethnic-racial inequities might shape the city environment, making access to healthy foods more difficult for the most vulnerable populations, with possible repercussions on food consumption, food security and other health outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniely Casagrande Borges & Júlio Celso Borello Vargas & Olivia Souza Honório & Larissa Loures Mendes & Raquel Canuto, 2024. "Social and ethnic-racial inequities in the occurrence of food deserts in a Brazilian state capital," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 16(3), pages 595-606, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:16:y:2024:i:3:d:10.1007_s12571-024-01450-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-024-01450-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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