Saúde.Come

Principal Investigator: Prof. Doctor Helena Canhão

Study duration: between April/2015 and March/2018

Study description:

According to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), created by the United Nations and defined for the period from 2015 to 2030, food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture are essential goals to achieve by 2030.

In Portugal, the objective of the National Health Plan (pns.dgs.pt) is to maximize health gains and improve the health of all stakeholders, through a set of strategies aimed at promoting equity in health. However, the lack of valid and useful epidemiological information to support political decision-making is a major public health challenge.

Taking these principles into account, Saúde.Come - Promoting Food Security developed a robust registry of food insecurity (limited or uncertain access to adequate feeding, due to social and / or economic factors, preventing the maintenance of a healthy life) and its determinants in Portuguese families, paying particular attention to the identification of especially vulnerable population groups. In a second phase, the project developed two pilot intervention studies that aimed to promote healthy lifestyles, namely with regard to healthy eating habits and physical activity, in priority vulnerable groups (adolescents and seniors), using the value added of new information technologies (Web platform and interactive TV applications).

The Saúde.Come - Promoting Food Security consortium is composed of a group of specialists in different areas, ensuring the sharing of knowledge and experiences, essential to achieve the objectives. This project is crucial for the development of future public health decisions on health inequalities, improving health information systems and requesting data on food insecurity and, ultimately, contributing to an improvement in nutritional status among vulnerable groups.