Food Insecurity Status and Associated Factors among Rural Households in North‑East of Iran

Background: To assess the prevalence of food insecurity and associated factors among rural households in north?east of Iran. Methods: In this cross?sectional study, a total of 4647 rural households (18,061 persons) were studied in Neyshabur, a city in north?east of Iran. The Iranian version of the Six?Item Short questionnaire of Household Food Security Scale was used to measure food insecurity. Logistic regression model was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Total prevalence of food insecurity in this study was 40.9% (95% CI 39.49?42.31). Backward Multivariate Logistic Regression model showed that OR of food insecurity increased with: The presence of chronic disease in household in comparison the absence (OR = 2.02), the rural distance > 30 km from the city in comparison the distance ?30 km (OR = 1.41), the presence of smoker in household in comparison the absence (OR = 1.8), the residential infrastructure of household ?50 m2 in comparison the > 50 m2 (OR = 1.57), the presence of single parent in comparison the presence of both parents at home (OR = 1.38) and the household income (per month) < 4,000,000 Rial in comparison the ?4,000,000 Rial (OR = 3.91). But OR of food insecurity decreased with having a car in family in comparison not having (OR = 0.54) and the family having a house in comparison not having (OR = 0.61). Conclusions: According to results of this study, food insecurity is prevalent among rural households of Neyshabur, so it is an important public health problem in this region.