Food Security Analysis of Rural Households in West Azerbaijan Province Based on Dietary Diversity Score and the Factors Affecting it

Lack of food diversity as the most important aspect of household access to food is a major challenge for rural communities. The main purpose of this study is to assess the food security status of rural households in the study area using the food diversity index and determine the main factors affecting the household diet. This cross-sectional research is one of the applied researches that has been compiled by a descriptive-analytical method. The main tool for data collection is a combination of a standard questionnaire calculating the score of food diversity in terms of counting food groups consumed by the household in the reference period of 24 hours before the interview and a researcher-made questionnaire. The statistical population includes all rural households in West Azerbaijan province. 482 households were selected as a statistical sample by cluster sampling in several stages using Cochran's formula. The results showed that the main food groups consumed by rural households in West Azerbaijan province are cereals with% 57.9, root and tuberous plants with% 56.4 and legumes with% 49.8.Also, in terms of food diversity classification of rural households, %58.1 were in the category of moderate food diversity. Analysis of hypothetical relationships based on standard values obtained from Maximum Likelihood Estimates and Bayesian maximal estimation methods in Amos software showed that the variables of livestock ownership, education level, household size, and annual income, in general, explain% 85 of the changes in food variability dependent variables. It is suggested to diversify the sources of income and at the same time improve the level of education of the head of the household, which leads to increasing nutritional knowledge and leading the diet towards choosing and consuming healthier and more varied products in the diet of rural households