Objective:

To evaluate whether participation in two food assistance programs (Oportunidades and Programa de Apoyo Alimentario [PAL, Food Assisstance Program]) was related to improving food insecurity among Mexican households with minors.

Methodology:

The database of the National Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2014 was analyzed. The households in which there were minors were selected. Household food insecurity was assessed with the Latin American and Caribbean Scale of Food Security (ELCSA) and through the diet diversity.

Results:

Poor households were more likely to have less diet diversity and have some degree of food insecurity, as well as receive government assistance. However, among poor households, receiving income from food assistance programs was not related to food insecurity or diet diversity. On the other hand, food insecurity was more frequent among households with single or indigenous household heads. The diet diversity, in rural localities, was lower in households in rural localities, at the same time, when the household head had low education.

Limitations:

The cross-sectional design of the survey precludes making any causal inference.

Conclusions:

The experience of food insecurity among Mexican households does not vary according to the participation in food assistance programs, which questions the existence of policies focused against the poverty and raises the need to direct efforts to increase access to formal jobs for the classes at social and economic disadvantage.