title: [Validation of an instrument to monitor food insecurity in Sierra de Manantlán, Jalisco].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To validate a version of the Food Security Scale (FSS) in communities located in Sierra de Manantlán, Jalisco.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using focus groups, the FSS was modified to fit the Mexican context. Subsequently, a survey was applied to women with pre-school aged children. The FSS was validated in correlation with a household food inventory and the dietary variety of the individual being interviewed. The interview also included a socioeconomic questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-four percent of the households reported mild food insecurity, 33% reported moderate hunger and 19.7% reported severe hunger. Food insecurity was significantly and inversely correlated with the number of food items in the household (r=-0.36**), animal source foods (r=-0.28**), dairy products (r=-0.25*), processed foods (r=-0.37**), fruits (r=-0.21*), and vegetables (r=-0.28**); *p<0.05, **p< 0.01. Food insecurity was also associated with low dietary variety (r=-0.23, p=0.02). These associations were maintained in multivariate models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FSS is a useful tool for monitoring food insecurity in rural regions of Jalisco.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Nutrition, The Ohio State University, Columbus 43210-1295, USA. melgar-quinonez.I@osu.edu
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Melgar-Quiñonez
authors.forename: Ana Claudia
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Zubieta
authors.forename: Enriqueta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Valdez
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Whitelaw
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaiser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires