Food insecurity is a critical issue in the Americas, with severe impacts in the Caribbean, Mesoamerica, and South America, particularly affecting older adults in Indigenous and rural contexts where it intersects with poverty, gender, and ethnicity. This study aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the current research about food insecurity among older Indigenous adults in Latin America and the Caribbean. A comprehensive literature review was conducted, utilizing specific search queries and the population, intervention, comparison, and outcome (PICO) strategy across multiple databases to identify the pertinent studies. The findings indicate an increase in academic output on this topic since 2018, with significant emphasis on the interplay between climate change and food insecurity. The review highlights the importance of developing targeted food programs, reforming policies, and fostering collaboration between academia and local communities to implement practical interventions. Despite the growing body of literature, a notable research gap persists in rural areas of Latin America and the Caribbean. This study underscores the necessity of balancing the geographic distribution of research and emphasizes the preservation of cultural practices and the adaptation of public policies to support traditional food practices. It advocates for culturally sensitive interventions and interdisciplinary collaboration to formulate comprehensive strategies. The originality and value of this study lie in its focused analysis of older Indigenous adults, contributing crucial insights to the international literature on food security.

Food security remains a critical challenge for older adults in rural Indigenous communities, particularly among the Mapuche people. This study presents an analysis of public policies that address the food security of Mapuche older adults in rural Chile. Using an interpretative qualitative approach, we explore the alignment between government programs and the lived experiences of this population. Findings indicate that existing policies lack cultural pertinence, focusing primarily on market-driven agricultural production rather than self-sufficiency and traditional food systems. Participants highlight the loss of community farming practices, environmental degradation, and the imposition of external production models as key factors exacerbating food insecurity. In addition, health and education policies do not integrate Indigenous knowledge and food habits, which further limits their effectiveness. This study highlights the need for culturally inclusive public policies that support local food sovereignty, sustainable agricultural practices, and the empowerment of Indigenous communities.

Background: The increase in population longevity often occurs in contexts of inequity and relative poverty, accompanied by economic deterioration. This becomes a social determinant that has a direct impact on food security. This phenomenon particularly affects certain groups and territories, although there is still a lack of disaggregated references. Intersections between factors such as being a rural inhabitant, Indigenous, woman, or elderly person are observed in relation to food security, which forces us to pay greater attention to gaps that have remained invisible for years. Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze the main factors that affect the food security of Mapuche men and women over 60 years of age living in the rural area of Temuco, Chile. Method: Qualitative, descriptive, and interpretative research was carried out, observing the process from the interpretative symbolic paradigm and the complexity approach. Results: The data are made up of the discourses of these subjects, whose analysis allowed for the identification of results. These results show that producing their own food enables rural Mapuche elders to achieve food security. The cultural food heritage preserved by Mapuche elders, especially women, acts as a facilitating factor, as do community spaces that reinforce their culture. Among the obstacles to food security are migration to the city for work, pathological aging, and the limited production of culturally healthy foods (affected by environmental problems, cultural changes, the destabilization of group identity, and public policies that are incongruent with the territorial worldview). Conclusions: While rural Mapuche elders retain valuable practices for their food security, inadequate policies, migration and environmental degradation present significant challenges.

El 74,2% de los adultos chilenos tiene malnutrición por exceso (MNE), constituyendo un problema de salud pública; por ello se presenta un estudio exploratorio, corte transversal, usando encues ta semiestructurada y escala de Stunkard; y descriptivo e interpre tativo, levantando categorías de percepción sobre imagen corporal y cultura alimentaria, mediante grupos focales y entrevistas. Su objetivo, comprender percepciones y representaciones sociales res pecto de la malnutrición por exceso de trabajadores del retail, Temuco. Muestra intencionada, consideró 80 trabajadores de dos empresas, de un universo de 380, cumpliendo criterios de inclusión; análisis de datos mediante coeficiente de Spearman y atlas Ti. Resultados: 83,3% y 92,3% de mujeres y hombres con obesidad se autopercibió correctamente (P < 0,05), “todas estamos pasaditas”; trabajadores con sobrepeso normalizan su estado. Imagen deseada de enflaquecida en mujeres (47,1%) y hombres (60,9%), sin diferen cias significativas en ambos. El vestuario ayuda a la negación de la MNE. Falta de tiempo, cansancio, comodidad influyen en la alimen tación. El 54,1% de trabajadores no cumplió con una porción de lácteos, frutas, verduras diaria. El 81,1% se alimenta en el trabajo, desean un casino con alimentación equilibrada. Apremian enfoques para manejo de la autopercepción a equipos de salud. En el ámbito laboral fomentar hábitos saludables a trabajadores.

Este estudio explora la seguridad alimentaria de personas trans y de género diverso en La Araucanía desde una perspectiva situada. Se realizó un estudio cualitativo, basado en entrevistas en profundidad de orientación etnográfica (octubre 2024–enero 2025), a personas usuarias del policlínico de género del Hospital de Temuco; las transcripciones se analizaron con codificación temática inspirada en teoría fundamentada y apoyo de Atlas.ti. Los resultados muestran que acceso, disponibilidad, biodisponibilidad situada y estabilidad se entrelazan con precariedad estructural, redes familiares, comunitarias e infraestructura doméstica. Los itinerarios de salud, incluida la terapia hormonal de afirmación de género, median decisiones cotidianas sobre qué y cómo comer; emergen estrategias adaptativas que resuelven urgencias, pero erosionan la estabilidad nutricional. La alimentación aparece como cuidado y afirmación identitaria. Se concluye que se requieren intervenciones de doble anclaje: medidas estructurales/territoriales que fortalezcan abastecimiento y servicios básicos, y acciones clínico-comunitarias que traduzcan recomendaciones en prácticas sostenibles.