Changes in food consumption among the Programa Bolsa Família participant families in Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To analyse changes and predictors of change in self-reported food intake among Brazilian families that benefitted from conditional cash transfer (CCT) implemented in the Programa Bolsa Família of the Brazilian Federal Government.

Design: A cross-sectional survey.

Setting: The study was conducted from September to October 2007 in a nationwide representative household sample of families included in the CCT. Socio-economic variables, perception of food consumption and food insecurity were evaluated via questionnaire, which was completed during face-to-face interviews.

Subjects: Five thousand households were selected from the CCT registry.

Results: Families reported increased consumption of all food groups analysed, mainly cereals, processed foods, meat, milk and dairy, beans and sugar. The degree of dependence on income from the CCT was positively associated with increased self-reported intake of food items such as sugar and soft drinks. A Poisson regression revealed that the fourth quartile of CCT dependence demonstrated a twofold increase in the self-reported intake of soft drinks (relative risk (RR) = 2·3, 95% CI 1·8, 2·9) and sugar (RR = 2·5, 95% CI 2·1, 3·1) compared with the first quartile of CCT dependence.

Conclusions: Greater purchasing power of poor families increases unhealthy food choices; thus public policies should emphasise the availability of healthy food.