The main purpose of the present study was to explore the role of educational channels in motivating rural women to participate in improving household food security. The statistical population was composed of all married women in the Sirvan County (Ilam Province). Using Cochran's sampling formula, 368 women were sampled. The main instrument was a questionnaire whose validity was confirmed by a panel of food security experts and members of faculty agricultural sciences and natural resources university of Khuzestan and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability. The alpha values varied from 0.79 to 0.85 for the educational channels and participation sections, respectively. Data were analyzed by the SPSS 18 and Lisrel 8.54 software packages. Results showed that rural women were not in the promotion of food security are participating high and nearly 80% of the studied rural household are exposed to food insecurity. The main channels used by rural women for the improvement of food security include family, TV, and neighbors. The results of the correlation analysis revealed that educational channels (local, national, and international) were significantly ( P < .01) correlated with rural women's participation in promoting household food security. Also, based on the results of means comparison, women's participation in food security improvement is significantly related with the variables of participating in extension courses, getting nutrition information, production systems, family size, distance between residency location and the city, educational level, and job of the person who is in responsibility of food provision. In addition, the results of the structural equation modeling showed that education channels had a positive and significant effect on the participation in improving household food security (R2 = 0.49, γ = 0.70, t = 8.60). The present research provides a scientifically rational justification as to how to improve food security among rural communities. The results can essentially help policymakers alleviate food insecurity and undernourishment.

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The COVID-19 pandemic caused an emergency around the world, especially in rural communities, and imposed great disasters on human societies, so it's devastating effects on mental health indicators, economy, environment, and social relations are known to everyone. But the accurate assessment of its damage to human societies can help to manage this phenomenon during and post-COVID-19 pandemic. To that end, the present study was conducted for vulnerability assessment of wheat farmers to the COVID-19 pandemic in northwest Iran. The main data collection tool in this study was a questionnaire that was designed based on the Me-bar model, but for the accurate vulnerability assessment, new parameters were added based on the theoretical research literature and the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample size was selected from 420 wheat farmers living in East Azerbaijan Province, the northwest of Iran, using the Kerjcie and Morgan's table. The results showed that for economic vulnerability, the rural poverty was the most important cause of vulnerability of the studied rural households and access to information was most important cause of social vulnerability. Also, the results showed that for psychological vulnerability, the self-efficacy was the most important cause of vulnerability. In other results, irrigation parameters of agricultural lands were the most important cause of environmental vulnerability. The study results showed that the studied farmers have experienced high levels of vulnerability and were strongly affected by economic, social, psychological, and environmental damages. Moreover, the results showed that the farmers of Shabestar and Maragheh had the highest level of vulnerability. In general, the study results can provide policymakers with new insights into the field of COVID-19 pandemic management because the vulnerability of farmers has been identified using 39 parameters.

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