Survey of Nutritional Status and Food Security in Children Aged 6 to 59 Months and Its Relationship with Some Socioeconomic Factors of Households in Mehdiabad Neighborhood of Shiraz, Iran, in 2018

Food insecurity has attracted the attention of people, experts, and policymakers as a major public health problem over the past two decades. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of food insecurity among children aged 6 to 59 months and its relationship with some socioeconomic factors of households living in Mehdiabad neighborhood of Shiraz, Iran, in 2018.

This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was performed on 353 households living in Mehdiabad neighborhood of Shiraz. Demographic, social, and economic data of households were collected through a general information questionnaire and food security status was assessed by the 18-item United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Household Food Security Questionnaire. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data.

The prevalence of food insecurity in the studied households was 74.5%, so that food insecurity without hunger and with hunger was reported 25.8% and 48.7%, respectively. Food insecurity was significantly associated with thinness, overweight, underweight, and obesity (P < 0.001) and showed a significant relationship with short stature (P = 0.040). Based on the results, a significant relationship was observed between food insecurity and head of household’s level of education, occupational class, and housing status (P < 0.001).

The study population had food insecurity and showed a significant positive relationship with some factors such as head of household’s job and house ownership. The number of thin, overweight, and obese children was higher in the food insecure group. Therefore, the prevalence of food insecurity can be reduced by considering facilities for households living in this area.