DIREITO A ALIMENTAÇÃO ADEQUADA: O DIAGNÓSTICO DE (IN)SEGURANÇA ALIMENTAR EM ESTUDANTES UNIVERSITÁRIOS

Food is conditioned by the right to adequate and healthy food, and when this right is denied due to socioeconomic factors, food insecurity sets in, with significant repercussions for human health. This study sought to identify the prevalence of food insecurity among university students at a public institution. This study, authorized by the Research Ethics Committee (REC), used a sociodemographic form and the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (FIT) administered between October 2023 and January 2024. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's chi-square test were used. Of the 125 participating students, 52.8% were food secure (FS) and 47.2% were food and nutrition insecure (FI). The highest incidence of FIT was in nutrition programs 13.6% and information systems 11.2%. The IA level was more prevalent in administration courses 10.4% and medicine 9.6%, mainly in females 47.4%, between 18 and 28 years old 83%, mixed race 57.7%, family income less than a minimum wage 39% and parents with completed high school, 38.9%. Food in the university cafeteria and student assistance contribute to food insecurity, although parents' socioeconomic status is a decisive factor in the implementation of food insecurity. There is an urgent need to discuss food (in)security in the university environment, to direct specific actions to prevent school dropouts and social exclusion, and to extend this discussion to the public agenda to strengthen the public policies to combat food insecurity.