Working Conditions, Habits, and Lifestyles Influencing Food Insecurity among Subsistence Workers in the City of Medellín, Colombia. Cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: To determine the working conditions, habits and lifestyles associated with food insecurity among women with subsistence jobs in Medellín, Colombia. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized primary data obtained through an assisted survey, incorporating the Latin American and Caribbean Scale of Food and Nutritional Insecurity. Subsequently, this information was correlated with explored working conditions, habits and lifestyles. Results: 72,6% of participants were under
60 years old, 43,0% lacked work permits, 63,0% worked more than 8 hours per day, and resided in poorly conditioned houses. Additionally, 80,3% were sedentary or minimally active, and half reported consuming only one or two meals per day. Greater food insecurity was explained by actors such as occupying dwellings in poor condition (adjusted prevalence ratio [RPA] =2,08, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.11 – 3.91), working more than 8 hours per day (RPA=3.55, CI=1.53- 8.23), eating in the living room of the house (RPA=3.23, CI=1.22-8.50), dining alone (RPA=2.71, CI=1.19 -6.16), and consuming meat ≤5 times per week (RPA=1.70, CI=1.07- 2.70). Conclusion: The identified conditions and factors contributing to food insecurity could be addressed through public health interventions.