Author/Authors :
Dorosty Ahmad Reza نويسنده , Ansari-Moghaddam Alireza نويسنده Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Health Promotion Research Center, Faculty of Health, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan Ansari-Moghaddam Alireza , Eshraghian Mohammad Reza نويسنده Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Tehran , Ghaffari Mohtasham نويسنده Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Ghaffari Mohtasham , Mortazavi Zinat نويسنده Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract :
[Background]Nowadays, more than 1 billion people suffer from food insecurity worldwide. Food insecurity is recognized as an important determinant of health, and both food insecurity and diseases are public health concerns. This study aimed at determining the association between food insecurity and self-reported history of infectious and parasitic diseases among household mothers in Zahedan, southeast of Iran.[Methods]This cross-sectional study was conducted on 2160 households in Zahedan. Food insecurity of the households was assessed through USDA 18- item questionnaire. Demographic data and questions about history of infectious and parasitic diseases in mothers were collected through interviewing the mothers. The data were analyzed using chi-square test and logistic regression model.[Results]Of the household mothers, 58.8% experienced food insecurity, 11.5% reported history of infectious diseases, and 1.1% experienced parasitic diseases in the last 3 months. After adjusting for the selected variables, a positive association was detected between food insecurity and history of infectious (OR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.66 - 3.18) and parasitic diseases (OR, 3.86; 95% CI, 1.07 - 13.93) in mothers.[Conclusions]Food security seems a controllable environmental factor that may cause some positive results in the fight against diseases. On the other hand, preventing and controlling infectious and parasitic diseases may in turn result in reduction of food insecurity.
