Table 2.

Description of studies evaluating the influence of conditional cash transfer programs in Brazil on recipients' food consumption.

Authors/ Program	Participants	Study design	Time and place	Outcome	Main conclusions	Methodological limitations
Plausibility study with external control
Piperata et al19 PBF	30 women in 2002 and 52 women in 2009 and a subsample of 20 women (longitudinal)	2 cross-sectional studies and a longitudinal study	7 rural communities in 2 municipalities in Pará 2002 and 2009	Quantity of calories, protein (g), carbohydrates (g) and lipids (g) and adequacy of protein consumption.	Higher protein intake and adequate protein consumption among PBF recipients, without adjusting for other factors.	Time required to collect data on food intake and dispersion of households in the region limited sample size. Data did not reflect food consumption patterns of communities in other places and with other economic subsistence strategies.
Saldiva et al25 PBF	411 families and 164 children under 5 (included in PBF or otherwise)	cross-sectional study	1 municipality in the Northeast 2005	Frequency of consumption of 23 foodstuffs and classification of high or low intake for fruit, vegetables, beans, meat and soft drinks, candies and other sweets.	Positive and statistically significant association between consumption of soft drinks, candies and other sweets and receiving PBF, after adjusting for socioeconomic variables.	No limitations indicated.
Paula et al18 PBF	115 children aged 6 to 10 years old	cross-sectional study	1 municipal school and I municipality in the Southeast 2009	Qualitative questionnaire on one day's consumption (preferences and eating habits and children's satisfaction with fruit, soft drinks, rice and beans and vegetables)	80.0% of the children receiving the PBF had five meals a day, compared with 52.1% non-PBF (p = 0.01).	Only one day's food intake was evaluated, does not show habitual intake.
					Significant differences were identified (p < 0.05) with regards intake of different foods, as morning and afternoon snacks between PBF and non-PBF children.	Not possible to evaluate association between doing physical activity and nutritional status.
						Minimum sample size not calculated, resulting in a small sample.
Study of accuracy
Lignani et al8 PBF	Those responsible for the benefit (women in 93.6% of cases) in 5,000 Brazilian residences.	Population based cross-sectional study	Brazil 2007	Recipients' perceptions of changes in their food intake for 16 food groups.	Families reported higher intake of all food groups. The length of time they had received the PBF had no effect on the changes in the diet. Higher intake of all food groups the greater the financial dependence on the PBF.	No limitations indicated.
Lima et al9 PBF	747 PBF recipients aged 19 and over, (91.4% of interviewees were women)	Population based cross-sectional study	1 municipality in the South 2006/2007	Diet Quality Index (DQI)	According to the DQI, 52.9% were classified as having an inadequate diet, 45.8% with a diet in need of change and 1.3% with an adequate diet. Median consumption of meat and beans was high (> 8 points), although two thirds of the population did not eat fruit every day, 46.0% did not eat vegetables and 43.9% did not consume milk or dairy products.	Using a 24hr recall to evaluate diet quality.
						Cross-sectional design, meant that consumption before receiving the benefit could not be assessed.

PBF: Family grant program.