Perceptions of the neighbourhood food environment and food insecurity of families with children during the Covid-19 pandemic

Background Changes to the food environment during the Covid-19 pandemic significantly influenced food acquisition and consumption, contributing to a higher prevalence of food insecurity. We assessed the perception of the food environment and its association with food insecurity in households of Brazilian schoolchildren during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional telephone survey between March and May 2021 with adults (n = 475) responsible for purchasing and/or preparing food at the students' homes aged between 6 months and 17 years enrolled in public school from two Brazilian municipalities. We assessed outcomes using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (EBIA). We measured perceptions of the food environment by evaluating the perceived availability, price, and quality of fruits and vegetables (FV) and ultra-processed foods (UPF) sold in the neighbourhood. Results The results indicate that 55.1% of respondents experienced mild food insecurity, and 14.5% experienced moderate or severe food insecurity. The perception of the ease of purchase (8.5% vs. 64.2%) and variety (78.9% vs. 57.9%) of UPF was higher at all levels of food security and insecurity compared to the same questions on FV. The level of food insecurity was associated with the perceived price of FV (p < 0.05). A negative perception of the quality (OR:1.92; CI:1.04-3.56) and the price of FV (OR:3.56; CI:1.41-8.98) were associated with moderate/severe food insecurity. Conclusions The affordability of FV is important for food-insecure households. Social protection policies for vulnerable families are crucial interventions that can strengthen and promote healthier food environments with greater availability of fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables.