SELF-RATED HEALTH IN FAMILY FARMERS LIVING IN A MUNICIPALITY OF MINAS GERAIS

Objective: To investigate family farmers' self-rated health. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 63 family farmers who lived in a city in Minas Gerais. A data collection instrument was used, and anthropometric assessments were performed. The outcome variable was self-rated health, which could be categorized as good (very good and good) or poor (fair, poor, and very poor). The explanatory variables evaluated were sociodemographic characteristics, food consumption, and health status. Pearson's chi-square tests were carried out to verify the relationships between explanatory variables and self-rated health. Results: The prevalence of poor self-rated health was 27.0%. The following variables were related to self-rated health: sex (p=0.004), consumption of ultra-processed foods (p=0.015), eating meals in front of the television (p=0.001), presence of reported morbidity (p=0.007), recent illness (p=0.001), and recent seeking of medical care (p=0.001). Conclusion: Approximately a quarter of the family farmers rated their health as poor. Self-rated health can be influenced by conditions such as sex, consumption of ultra-processed foods, eating meals in front of the television, reported morbidity, recent illness, and recent seeking of medical care. It is necessary to formulate public policies to strengthen and promote the health of this population.