Background: Increasing prevalence of overweight/obesity in children and adolescents over the past two decades has made it a public health concern. Knowledge, skills and critical decision making about food choices and dietary intake, known as food and nutrition literacy (FNLIT) could be one of the keys to improving the outcomes of future interventions in this area. This study aims to assess the relationship between FNLIT and dietary diversity and nutrient adequacy in school-age children in Iran.Methods: This cross-sectional study was undertaken on 803 Primary school students aged 10-12 years in Tehran, Iran. Socio-economic and household food security characteristics, as well as three 24-hour dietary recalls (two week-days and one weekend) were collected through interviewing students and their mothers/caregivers. FNLIT was measured by a self-administered locally designed and validated questionnaire. Number of servings from food groups and diet diversity score, as well as nutrient adequacy were calculated and compared with recommendations. The association between dietary quality factors and FNLIT were evaluated by logistic regression analysis. Results: Students with low FNLIT were less likely to meet daily recommended portion of vegetable (OR=2.83, 95% CI=1.12-7.17), meats (OR=2.37, 95% CI=1.01-5.55) and fruits (OR=2.42, 95% CI=1.38-4.25) (after adjusting for confounding factors, including demographics, Socioeconomics, physical activity, calorie intake and food security). Moreover, low FNLIT subscales were associated with higher odds of low diversity of fruits (OR=3.82, 95% CI=1.01-14.42), dairies (OR=19.5, 95% CI=2.09-182.38), and meats (OR=2.4, 95% CI=1.31-4.40). low FNLIT and its subscales were associated with odds of lower level of NAR of protein (OR=2.02, 95% CI=1.02-8.95), calcium (OR=2.2, 95% CI=1.16-4.49), and vitamin B3 (OR=3.65, 95% CI=1.05-12.69), as well as probability of lower level of MAR (OR=2.91, 95% CI=1.03-8.23, OR=3.12, 95% CI=1.38-7.05), and NAR of vitamin B9 (OR=2.98, 95% CI=1.04-8.51), and odds of lower level of NAR of vitamin B6 (OR=2.30, 95% CI=1.10-4.83). Conclusion: Improving FNLIT in children may help to improve their eating habits and dietary quality for the benefits of good health.
Background This study was undertaken to analyze and compare Eastern Mediterranean (EM) countries in achievement of WHO nutrition global targets for children growth indicators by 2025. Methods A total of 108 national surveys from 20 countries in EM region were analyzed to estimate the prevalence of stunting and wasting and 93 surveys to estimate the prevalence of overweight/obesity in children. These data were obtained from national surveys included in the WHO Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition. Results In EM region, the prevalence of childhood stunting was estimated to have a 38% decline from 2000 (34.7%) to 2025 (21.2%). Only three countries in EM region (Iran and Jordan, Saudi Arabia) were anticipated to achieve the expected WHO target by 2025. From 2000 to 2020, the prevalence of wasting decreased from 6.9 to 5.3. Six countries were presumed to achieve the expected WHO target by 2025. Nine countries will presumably have overweight rates >5% (Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syrian Arab Republic and Tunisia) in 2025 whereas five countries will have overweight rates above 10% (Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Syrian Arab Republic and Tunisia). Conclusion Despite descending trends of child stunting and wasting and a secular trend of child obesity in EM region, it is expected that WHO targets will not be achieved by 2025. A diverse socio-economic condition in EM countries necessitates different action plans. International determination, political commitment and, above all, involvement of the families are needed to achieve 2025 targets for child stunting, wasting and overweight/obesity.
ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the relationship between household food insecurity (HFI) with food and nutrition literacy (FNLIT) in a sample of Iranian children. This cross sectional study was performed on 315 children aged 9 to 12 years recruited from the primary schools throughout Mashhad, Iran. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used to assess the HFI. Also, overall FNLIT score and its sub-categories were evaluated using a validated 40-item questionnaire.Results The prevalence of HFI in the total sample was about 56 %. Also, almost 14 % of students had a low FNLIT score. Food insecure children had significantly lower levels of FNLT and some subscales including nutrition knowledge, food choice literacy, and food label literacy than the food-secure subjects, moreover, they had a higher likelihood of having low FNLIT score (OR = 2.89, CI: 1.03-8.09; p = 0.04). In conclusion, there is a negative association between HFI and FNLIT in children. Further studies to confirm this finding are needed.
Background Inadequate fruits and vegetables intake is associated with several diseases. This study aimed to explore changes in fruits and snack consumption during the COVID-19-related lockdown in Iran. Methods An online cross-sectional survey among Iranian households was conducted from the 4th to 25th April 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown. Data were collected about any changes in frequency consumption of the fruits and snacks and the reasons for the changes. Ordinal logistic regression was performed to examine which factors contributed to changes in consumption. To account for the complex sampling design and allow inferences valid for the population, sampling weights were used in all analyses. Results A total of 21,290 households took part in the survey. During the epidemic, consumption of fruits and snacks decreased by 35% and 44%, respectively. Among the households whose fruit intake was decreased, about 21% fully omitted it from their food baskets. Residing in rural areas, having more than six members in the household, income loss, and residing in deprived provinces were directly associated with decreased consumption of fruits and snacks. Being a female-headed household was positively associated, and having persons with COVID-19 in the households was inversely associated, with decreased consumption of fruits. The main reason for reducing fruit and snack consumption was income loss. Conclusions A significant decline in fruit and snack consumption because of COVID-19 lockdown was seen among the Iranian households. It is likely that these changes in dietary habits will become longstanding with consequent adverse health outcomes.
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