Insegurança Alimentar e Controle Glicêmico no Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2: Uma Revisão Integrativa Sobre os Determinantes Sociais da Saúde.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36557/2674-8169.2026v8n8p458-471Keywords:
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, food insecurity, social determinant of health, Glycated HemoglobinAbstract
Introduction: Metabolic homeostasis in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is strongly influenced by social determinants of health. Food Insecurity (FI) emerges as one of the main factors hindering adequate glycemic control. Objective: To analyze the literature on the multifactorial impact of food insecurity on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) control in patients with T2DM, evaluating nutritional, psychosocial, and behavioral pathways. Methods: An integrative literature review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and SciELO databases, applying the descriptors "Food insecurity", "Type 2 diabetes", "Glycemic control", and "Social determinants of health". Articles published between 2010 and 2026 were included. Results: The synthesis of the included studies indicates that FI worsens glycemic control through three main pathways: (1) nutritional, characterized by replacing fresh foods with low-cost ultra-processed products; (2) psychosocial, through increased allostatic load and diabetes distress; and (3) behavioral, manifested by medication rationing (treat-or-eat dilemma). Epidemiological data show that patients experiencing FI have a substantially higher risk of uncontrolled HbA1c and exacerbated comorbidities. Conclusion: Food insecurity acts as a determinant in type 2 Diabetes Mellitus destabilization. It is essential to include social screening and strengthen public policies and interventions, such as medically tailored meals, in the clinical management guidelines for the disease.
Keywords: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; Food Insecurity; Social Determinants of Health; Glycated Hemoglobin.
Downloads
References
AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE COMMITTEE. Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026. Diabetes Care, [S. l.], v. 49, supl. 1, p. S1–S350, 2026.
BARRETO, S. M. et al. Desigualdades sociais na prevalência do diabetes mellitus no ELSA-Brasil. Revista de Saúde Pública, [S. l.], v. 49, p. 1–12, 2015.
BAWADI, H. A. et al. Food insecurity is related to glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Clinical Nutrition, [S. l.], v. 31, n. 1, p. 84–88, 2012.
BOOTH, J. N. et al. Food insecurity and medication adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes. Journal of General Internal Medicine, [S. l.], v. 33, n. 1, p. 30–36, 2018.
CAMPELLO, T. et al. Faces da desigualdade no Brasil: um olhar sobre os que ficam para trás. Saúde em Debate, [S. l.], v. 42, n. esp. 3, p. 54–66, 2018.
DOWNER, S. et al. Food is medicine: actions to integrate food and nutrition into healthcare. BMJ, [S. l.], v. 369, m2482, 2020.
FAO – FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS. The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2001. Roma: FAO, 2001.
FISHER, L. et al. The distress of living with diabetes. Diabetes Care, [S. l.], v. 37, n. 8, p. 2037–2044, 2014.
HAWKINS, M. et al. Malnutrition-related diabetes: a systematic review. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, [S. l.], v. 9, n. 11, p. 777–789, 2021.
MARMOT, M.; WILKINSON, R. G. Social determinants of health. 2. ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
MENDONÇA, R. T. et al. Food insecurity and diabetes control in a primary care setting in South Africa. Journal of Tropical Medicine, [S. l.], v. 2021, p. 1–8, 2021.
REDE BRASILEIRA DE PESQUISA EM SOBERANIA E SEGURANÇA ALIMENTAR E NUTRICIONAL (PENSSAN). II Inquérito Nacional sobre Insegurança Alimentar no Contexto da Pandemia da Covid-19 no Brasil. São Paulo: PENSSAN, 2022.
REID, L. E. et al. Food insecurity and glycemic control in youth with diabetes: SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study. Diabetes Care, [S. l.], v. 41, n. 5, p. 917–923, 2018.
RIBEIRO, L. C. et al. Impact of COVID-19 on the glycemic control of patients with diabetes. Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome, [S. l.], v. 13, n. 1, p. 55–62, 2021.
SCHRODE, K. M. et al. Dietary quality, food security and glycemic control among adults with diabetes. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, [S. l.], v. 46, p. 336–342, 2021.
SEGALL-CORRÊA, A. M. et al. Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar (EBIA). Revista de Nutrição, [S. l.], v. 27, n. 2, p. 205–214, 2014.
SELIGMAN, H. K. et al. Food insecurity is associated with diabetes mellitus: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2002. Journal of General Internal Medicine, [S. l.], v. 22, n. 7, p. 1018–1023, 2007.
SELIGMAN, H. K.; SCHILLINGER, D. Hunger and socioeconomic disparities in chronic disease. New England Journal of Medicine, [S. l.], v. 363, n. 1, p. 6–9, 2010.
SELIGMAN, H. K. et al. Food security is related to adult type 2 diabetes control over time in a United States safety net primary care clinic population. American Journal of Public Health, [S. l.], v. 102, n. 2, p. 236–241, 2012.
WALKER, R. J. et al. Understanding the influence of race, poverty, and food insecurity on glycemic control. Social Science & Medicine, [S. l.], v. 114, p. 162–169, 2014.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Isla Kelly Alves de Andrade, Aryane Nery Pereira , Belchior Junio Resende Marins, Fernando Daniel Pereira Barbosa, Fernando José Ferro Filho, Gabriel Sousa Franco, Júlia Rocha Guimarães Umbelino Di Louza , Maria Rita Moraes Leão, Nathália de Souza Lopes, Renata Souza Martins, Naysa Gabrielly Alves de Andrade

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors are copyright holders under a CCBY 4.0 license.



