Investigating the Existence of Nutrition-based Poverty Trap in Informal Settlements in Mashhad: Case study of Shahid Ghorbani District

Among the factors affecting labor productivity, the shortage in food intake can seriously affect productivity. The purpose of this study is to examine the Poverty Nutrition Trap, which is rooted in the theory of efficiency wage, highlighting the importance of malnutrition and poverty. This study's data were obtained by survey and completed by questionnaire in 1395 among 220 households living in Shahid Ghorbani district of Mashhad. A simultaneous equation system was used to investigate the existence of the Poverty Nutrition Trap. The results showed that the residents' bundle of food was significantly different from the average urban and provincial households. Results also revealed that the studied area inhabitants had spent almost half of the average cost of meat for urban households of Khorasan Razavi province and Iran. This issue also arose for the expenditure on high nutrients, including milk, eggs, fruits, and vegetables. The simultaneous equations system results showed that despite the low use of nutrients by the inhabitants of this area, the cycle of nutrition-based poverty had not been formed among them, and inadequate nutrition has not led to the vicious cycle of reduced income, reduced productivity, and inadequate nutrition. Therefore, other factors influencing the formation of poverty in the region should be identified to propose appropriate policies to reduce poverty.