Associations Between Severe Food Insecurity and Food Addiction in Brazilian Low‐Income Women

OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to assess the distribution of food addiction (FA) across different levels of food insecurity (FI) in Brazilian women of reproductive age living in poverty, and to investigate the association between FA and FI. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study conducted between October 2020 and May 2021 in 40 urban favelas and low-income communities. The FA was assessed using the modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (mYFAS 2.0) and the FI was measured using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (EBIA). A logistic regression model was used to examine the association between FA and FI, adjusting for age (in years), poverty status, race/skin colour, physical activity, nutritional status, and self-reported diagnosis of depression and anxiety. A total of 1863 adult women of reproductive age (20-44 years) were included. RESULTS: Among the women with FA, 30.7% experienced severe FI. A significant association was found between FA and severe FI, with the chances of FA being higher among women with severe FI compared to those with food security. CONCLUSION: Severe FI is associated with higher chances of FA, particularly in socioeconomically vulnerable contexts.