Food Insecurity Status and Associated Factors among Rural Households in North-East of Iran

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE FA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Background: To assess the prevalence of food insecurity and associated factors among rural households in north-east of Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 4647 rural households (18,061 persons) were studied in Neyshabur, a city in north-east of Iran. The Iranian version of the Six-Item Short questionnaire of Household Food Security Scale was used to measure food insecurity. Logistic regression model was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Total prevalence of food insecurity in this study was 40.9% (95% CI 39.49-42.31). Backward Multivariate Logistic Regression model showed that OR of food insecurity increased with: The presence of chronic disease in household in comparison the absence (OR = 2.02), the rural distance >30 km from the city in comparison the distance ≤30 km (OR = 1.42), the presence of smoker in household in comparison the absence (OR = 1.8), the residential infrastructure of household ≤50 m2 in comparison the >50 m2 (OR = 1.57), the presence of single parent in comparison the presence of both parents at home (OR = 1.39) and the household income (per month) <4,000,000 Rial in comparison the ≥4,000,000 Rial (OR = 3.92). But OR of food insecurity decreased with having a car in family in comparison not having (OR = 0.54) and the family having a house in comparison not having (OR = 0.62). Conclusions: According to results of this study, food insecurity is prevalent among rural households of Neyshabur, so it is an important public health problem in this region. Keywords: Food insecurity, Iran, prevalence, rural households /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:-2.85pt; mso-para-margin-bottom:0cm; mso-para-margin-left:1.15pt; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center; line-height:13.25pt; mso-line-height-rule:exactly; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} -