The Association of Food Security and Dietary Variety in Subjects Aged Over 40 in District 13 of Tehran

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between food security and food variety in a population, aged over 40 years. From among the non-diabetic population, aged over 40 years of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study, 200 subjects were selected randomly to complete the household food security questionnaire and were divided into four groups including high food security, food security border, low food security, and very low food security. Demographic, anthropometric and dietary intake data of each subject were collected and the dietary diversity score (DDS) was determined based on five food groups of the food guide pyramid. Mean±SD for DDS of subjects was 4.94±1.35, and in the high food security group was significantly higher than in the food insecurity group (the other 3 groups). Mean±SD for food security in the first quartile of DDS (3.04±1.95) was higher than in the third (1.94±2.1, P=0.005) and fourth quartiles (2.22±2.2, P=0.043). The lowest and highest percentages of subjects with high food security were in the first and third quartiles of DDS, respectively. After adjusting sex, age, body mass index, energy intake, job and marital status, the odds of being in the lowest quartile of fruits variety for high food security group was 73% lower than for the low food security group. An inverse correlation was observed between food security score with the DDS (r=-0.42, P=0.012), the fruits variety score (r=-0.45, P=0.004), and the vegetables variety score (r=-0.37, P=0.046). Dietary diversity as an indicator of a healthy diet is associated with food security and increases food security results in dietary diversity, especially in fruit and vegetable varieties.