AMAZONIAN AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES – WHO EATS AND WHY? A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN AN URBAN AMAZONIAN POPULATION IN ACRE.

Abstract

Brazil has a rich variety of regional foods that are part of the Amazonian biodiversity, such as açaí, cupuaçu, pupunha, buriti and chestnuts. In addition to contributing to food security, they can bring numerous benefits to health and the local economy. This study aims to describe the consumption of these foods in the municipality of Mâncio Lima, Acre, and to evaluate which are the individual, household, socioeconomic and food variables related to this consumption. 824 people living in the urban area of ​​Mâncio Lima, over 17 years of age, were interviewed between January and February 2012. The results showed that açaí was the most consumed food and the factors associated with this intake were consuming fruits and vegetables and beans more than 5 times a week. Cupuaçu consumption was associated with consumption of fruits and sweets more than 5 times a week and with previous episodes of vivax malaria. For chestnuts, there was an association with females, sleeping in areas where deforestation was carried out, having a cement or brick sidewalk in front of the house, producing fruit for own consumption and consuming beans more than 5 times a week. The consumption of pupunha was associated with working in deforestation activities, the production of fruit for own consumption and older age. For the buriti, there was an association with having had falciparum malaria, consuming fruits at least 5 times a week, older age and the presence of moderate or severe food insecurity.