Resumen

JIMENEZ S, Ana Zulema; PRADA G, Gloria Esperanza  y  FERNANDO HERRAN F, Oscar. SCALES FOR MEASURING FOOD SECURITY IN COLOMBIA: ARE THEY VALID?. Rev. chil. nutr. [online]. 2012, vol.39, n.1, pp. 8-17. ISSN 0717-7518.  doi: 10.4067/S0717-75182012000100001.

The aim of this study was to assess reproducibility in four Colombian cities of the results obtained on food insecurity (INSA) comparing it with the factorial and criterion validity of the Food Security Perceptions scale (EPSA) and the Latin American and Caribbean (ELCSA) methods in homes from urban and rural area based on the usual consumption of energy for all household members. The reproducibility was 051 for EPSA and 056for ELCSA . The sensitivity of the EPSA was between 39.6% and 40.5% and for the ELCSA between 62.6% and 622%. The agreement against the reference for the EPSA was between 0.10 and 018for ELCSA was between 0.09 and 0.13. The efficiency of the two tests as a global measure of reliability is just greater than the probability in a coin toss. The results of these scales should be used conservatively.

Palabras clave : Food security; reproducibility of results; validity of the test; hunger; Colombia.