The Food Acquisition Program and Nutritional Status of Children

Our study aims to evaluate the impact of the Food Acquisition Program (PAA) on the nutritional status of children aged 5 to 10 years in participating municipalities. We analyzed a sample of 5,570 municipalities, of which 1,398 participated in the program in 2019. Implementing a Propensity Score Matching analysis, we found significant results that indicate a positive effect of participating in the program. There was an increase of approximately 1.5% in the proportion of children with adequate weight, demonstrating the effectiveness of the PAA in promoting nutritional status. These findings highlight the importance of this program as a nationwide strategy to improve the health and nutrition of food-insecure children in Brazil.