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Is food insecurity related to health-care use, access and absenteeism?

2019-08-06Journal article Open access
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datacite.subject.fosCiências Médicas::Outras Ciências Médicas
datacite.subject.sdg03:Saúde de Qualidade
datacite.subject.sdg04:Educação de Qualidade
dc.contributor.authorDias, Sara
dc.contributor.authorGregório, Maria João
dc.contributor.authorMelo, António
dc.contributor.authorMatias, Maria Ana
dc.contributor.authorRodrigues , Ana M
dc.contributor.authorSousa, Rute Dinis de
dc.contributor.authorCanhão,Helena
dc.contributor.authorPerelman, Julian
dc.date.accessioned2025-06-17T13:59:30Z
dc.date.available2025-06-17T13:59:30Z
dc.date.issued2019-08-06
dc.description.abstractFood insecurity (FI) is defined as uncertain access to healthy food in quantity and quality. We hypothesize that FI may be associated with greater health-care use and absenteeism because it may amplify the effect of diseases; also, FI may be associated with reduced health-care access because it reflects economic vulnerability. The present study estimates the association between FI and health-care use and access, and absenteeism.Design: Cross-sectional data collected in 2015-2016. Health-care use was measured as the number of consultations, taking any drug and having been hospitalized in the past year. Health-care access was measured by the suspension of medication and having fewer consultations due to financial constraints. Absenteeism was measured by the weeks of sickness leave. Binary variables were modelled as a function of FI using logistic regressions; continuous variables were modelled as a function of FI using negative binomial and zero-inflated negative binomial regressions. Covariates were included sequentially.Setting: Portugal.Participants: Non-institutionalized adults from the EpiDoc3 cohort (n 5648).Results: FI was significantly associated with health-care use before controlling for socio-economic conditions and quality of life. Moderate/severe FI was positively related to the suspension of medicines (adjusted OR = 4·68; 95 % CI 3·11, 6·82) and to having fewer consultations (adjusted OR = 3·98; 95 % CI 2·42, 6·37). FI and absenteeism were not significantly associated.Conclusions: Our results support the hypothesis that FI reflects precariousness, which hinders access to health care. The greater use of health care among food-insecure people is explained by their worse quality of life and lower socio-economic condition, so that the specific role of poor nutrition is unclear.eng
dc.description.sponsorshipFinancial support: This study was funded by a NOVASaude unrestricted research grant; and the Public Health Initiatives Programme (PT06), financed by EEA Grants Financial Mechanism 2009–2014.
dc.identifier.citationMelo, A., et.al. (2019). Is food insecurity related to health-care use, access and absenteeism? Public Health Nutrition, 22(17), 3211–3219. doi:10.1017/S1368980019001885
dc.identifier.doi10.1017/s1368980019001885
dc.identifier.issn1368-9800
dc.identifier.issn1475-2727
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/13296
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.publisherCambridge University Press (CUP)
dc.relation.hasversionhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/is-food-insecurity-related-to-healthcare-use-access-and-absenteeism/5ED989EB850466BF50E1D90B32139316
dc.relation.ispartofPublic Health Nutrition
dc.rights.uriN/A
dc.subjectAbsenteeism
dc.subjectFood insecurity
dc.subjectHealth-care access
dc.subjectHealth-care use
dc.subjectQuality of Life
dc.titleIs food insecurity related to health-care use, access and absenteeism?eng
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.endPage3219
oaire.citation.issue17
oaire.citation.startPage3211
oaire.citation.titlePublic Health Nutrition
oaire.citation.volume22
oaire.versionhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
person.familyNameDias
person.familyNameGregório
person.givenNameSara
person.givenNameMaria João
person.identifier.ciencia-idAA1F-9375-B5E6
person.identifier.ciencia-idD51D-547F-9D62
person.identifier.orcid0000-0001-6782-7481
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-0380-7833
person.identifier.ridI-9965-2018
person.identifier.scopus-author-id33367487300
person.identifier.scopus-author-id36504088600
relation.isAuthorOfPublicationa49e0bc6-cfea-4033-aebf-a1ef9e4c5e7b
relation.isAuthorOfPublication7e68abfb-ac76-4946-85e6-1fef00fe981f
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscoverya49e0bc6-cfea-4033-aebf-a1ef9e4c5e7b

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