Association of Food Insecurity and Type II Diabetes in the Southwest of Iran

Type II diabetes is currently considered to be health priority in Iran. Recent studies have confirmed the high prevalence of food insecurity in various regions in Iran. The present study aimed to investigate the association of food insecurity and some of its influential factors in the diabetic patients in the villages in Abadan, Iran.  This case-control study was conducted on 110 diabetic patients (case) and 107 non-diabetic individuals (control), who were selected randomly. Demographic characteristics and food insecurity status were evaluated using a questionnaire. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 16 using Chi-square, t-test, and logistic regression analysis.  The prevalence of food insecurity in the case and control groups was 85.3% and 67.1%, respectively. Several risk factors were considered to be effective in the high prevalence of food insecurity, such as poor socioeconomic status, body mass index, education level, and number of family members in the household. Moreover, the odds ratio (OR) for diabetes was significantly higher in the individuals with food insecurity (OR: 3.08, 95% confidence interval: 1.26-7.5).  Considering the higher prevalence of food insecurity in the patients with type II diabetes compared to the control group, it is presumed that food insecurity may be associated with type II diabetes or its risk factors.