scholarly journals Food Security and Its Association with Socioeconomic Status and Diet Diversity in Free Living Elderly in Tehran, Iran

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Pourebrahim ◽  
Nasrin Omidvar ◽  
Arezoo Rezazadeh ◽  
Hassan Eini-Zinab ◽  
Pedram Shirani

Abstract Backgrounds: Food security is one of the most important factors affecting food access and diet diversity. Older age is a period when adequate and diverse dietary intake is a challenge and there is a high risk for malnutrition. This study aimed to investigate the association between food security, dietary diversity and socioeconomic factors among the free-living elderly in the city of Tehran. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 583 elderlies (279 men and 304 women) aged 60–80 years were selected through clustered systematic multi-stage sampling method from 10 districts of Tehran city. Food security status of the subjects was determined using locally validated version of the United States Household Food Security Survey Module )US-HFSSM( questionnaire. Socio-economic status was assessed by a questionnaire. Dietary intake of the subjects was evaluated using two 24-hour recalls (one weekday and one week-end) through face-to-face interviews. Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) was calculated using the FAO 2010 guideline. Multinomial logistic regression was applied for the analysis. Results The average age of participants was 67.87 ± 5.86 years. Based on US-HFSSM, 56.9% of the elderly were food secure; while 25.7%, 14.2% and 3.2% suffered from food insecurity (FI) without hunger, with moderate hunger, and with severe hunger, respectively. There was no association between FI and DDS, even after controlling for confounders. Multinomial logistic regression models suggested that after adjusting for age and gender, being illiterate increased the possibility of different levels of food insecurity [(OR = 3.107, 95% CI = 1.672–5.775), (OR = 2.736, 95% CI = 1.261–5.935) and (OR = 6.193, 95% CI = 1.368–28.039)], respectively. Also, FI with mild hunger was associated with total household income (OR = 2.744, 95% CI = 1.100-6.846), while FI with severe hunger was significantly associated with Fars ethnicity (OR = 0.146, 95% CI = 0.051–0.424). Conclusions Overall, socio-economic status and demographic characteristics were the predictors of FI among the elderly, while DDS was not associated with FI.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 508-508
Author(s):  
Alexandra Bellows ◽  
Shivani Kachwaha ◽  
Purnima Menon ◽  
Phuong Nguyen

Abstract Objectives Poor dietary intake during pregnancy remains a significant public health concern affecting the health of the mother and fetus. This study examines the adequacy of energy, macronutrient and micronutrient intakes among vegetarian and non-vegetarian pregnant women. Methods We analyzed dietary data from 627 pregnant women enrolled at baseline from an Alive &Thrive maternal nutrition program in Uttar Pradesh, India. Dietary intake was assessed using a multiple-pass 24-hour diet recall. We compared differences between vegetarian and non-vegetarian women in dietary diversity (calculated using the minimum dietary diversity for women guidelines), probability of adequacy, and mean probability of adequacy (MPA) for 11 micronutrients. Results Women who identified themselves as vegetarians (∼47%) were more likely to have higher education and socioeconomic status, and belong to upper caste groups than non-vegetarians. Average dietary diversity score was 4 out of 10 food groups for both groups. Vegetarian women were more likely to meet the MDD-W cutoff of five or more food groups compared to non-vegetarian women (39.2% compared to 32.4% respectively) (P < 0.05). Average MPA for vegetarians was 20% (SD:15.3) compared to 17% (SD:13.7) for non-vegetarian group (P = 0.02). In both groups, median intake of 9 out of 11 micronutrients was below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR). Only zinc and thiamin had a median intake slightly above EAR. Starchy staple foods accounted for 62.4% of total energy for vegetarians and 69.1% for non-vegetarians. Dairy foods were an important source of fat, calcium, and vitamin B12 for both groups. Among non-vegetarian women, consumption of animal source foods was low (<8%). Conclusions Vegetarian women were more likely to have probability of nutrient adequacy and diet diversity during pregnancy than non-vegetarian women, but these differences are likely confounded by socio-economic and caste status. Since diets are poor for both groups, a range of policies and interventions that address the food environment, nutrition counseling during pregnancy, behavior change, and supplementation are needed in order to achieve adequate nutrient intake for pregnant women in this population. Funding Sources Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, through Alive & Thrive, managed by FHI 360.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 27-32
Author(s):  
Harshal Gupta ◽  
Vishal Agrawal

Background: People with intellectual disabilities (PwID) are particularly more vulnerable to dermatological manifestations due to their associated disabilities and hygiene negligence. Aims and Objective: To estimate the prevalence and pattern of skin diseases considering various medico-social correlates among PwID in two districts of Central India. To apply multinomial logistic regression analysis to examine the medico-social factors associated with no, one and more than one dermatological manifestations. Materials and Methods: A total of 204 PwID receiving rehabilitation services under a NGO serving two districts were examined for dermatological manifestations and various medico-social factors were studied. Descriptive analysis like chi-square and multinomial logistic regression analysis (MLR) was performed. Results: We found that 87.25% of study participants had one or more dermatological manifestations {infectious (64.7%) and non-infectious (84.3%)}. Among the various medico-social variables studied, socio-economic status, education of parents and associated co-morbidities were independently associated with increase in frequency of skin disorders. MLR analysis showed that Illiteracy of parents, lower socio-economic status and associated co-morbidities in PwID had higher odds of developing one and more than one dermatological manifestations when compared to literate and high income families and PwID with no associated co-morbidities. Conclusion: This study delineates the importance of additional attempts to be made by dermatologist while dealing with PwID while considering carefully their associated co-morbidities and various social factors. Strict hygiene measures, periodic skin examination and health education of persons caring for students with disabilities are recommended.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Wang ◽  
Jiajia Li ◽  
Lulu Ding ◽  
Yuejing Feng ◽  
Xue Tang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Married female caregivers face a higher risk of an informal care burden than other caregivers. No study has explored the effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on the intensity of informal care provided by married female caregivers in China. The purpose of this study is to empirically examine how the SES of married female caregivers affects the intensity of the informal care they provide for their parents/parents-in-law in China. Methods The data for this study were drawn from 8 waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). The respondents were married women whose parents/parents-in-law needed care and lived in the same city as them. SES was defined based on four indicators: education, economic status, employment status, and hukou (China’s household registration system). Informal caregivers were divided into three categories: non-caregivers (0 h/week), low-intensity caregivers (less than 10 h/week), and high-intensity caregivers (10 h/week and above). Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relation between SES and the likelihood of a low- and high-intensity caregiving among married female caregivers, adjusting for age, family characteristics and survey wave. Results Of the 2661 respondents, high-intensity and low-intensity caregivers accounted for 16.35 and 21.27%, respectively. The multinomial logistic regression results showed that the likelihood of being a high-intensity caregiver versus (vs. a non-caregiver) increased as the caregiver’s educational attainment increased (p < 0.05), and that high economic status was related to the likelihood of being a high-intensity caregiver, but this relationship was only significant at the 10% level. Urban females were 1.34 times more likely than their rural counterparts to provide low-intensity care vs. no care (p < 0.05) and were 1.33 times more likely to provide high-intensity care vs. no care (p < 0.05). Employed females were 1.25 times more likely than those unemployed females to provide low-intensity care vs. no care (p < 0.05). Conclusions Differences in SES were found between high-intensity caregivers and low-intensity caregivers. Women with high educational attainment and urban hukou were more likely to provide high-intensity informal care, and women who were employed and had urban hukou were more likely to provide low-intensity care.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac Acquah ◽  
Javier Valero-Elizondo ◽  
Miguel Cainzos Achirica ◽  
Rahul Singh ◽  
Karan Shah ◽  
...  

Introduction: Barriers to healthcare - financial and nonfinancial - may result in unmet health needs and adverse outcomes. Despite this, the nonfinancial barriers to care among adults with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is poorly defined in the US. We aimed to explore the scope and determinants of nonfinancial barriers to care among individuals with ASCVD. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2013-17 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). We included adults with self-reported ASCVD (heart attack, angina, and/or stroke). Nine key variables in the NHIS that represent nonfinancial barriers to healthcare were assessed as absent/present, and participants were classified as having 0-1, 2, or ≥3 barriers. Multinomial logistic regression (using 0-1 nonfinancial barriers as reference) was used to evaluate the relationship between various sociodemographic factors, and an increasing number of nonfinancial barriers. Results: Of all the 15,758 adults with ASCVD (8.1% annually in the US; representing 19.6 million), 23.4% reported having at least one nonfinancial barrier to care while 4.9% reported 3 nonfinancial barriers. In a multivariable multinomial logistic regression, after stratifying by age, individuals from low-income families had an almost 2-fold relative prevalence of 3 nonfinancial barriers ( Figure) . In the elderly, however, lack of insurance was the strongest predictor (relative prevalence ratio of 6.51 [95% confidence interval; 2.25, 18.87]) of having ≥3 barriers. Conclusion: Among adults with ASCVD, the relative prevalence of ≥3 nonfinancial barriers was low (4.9%) with low-income being the only modifiable predictor of reporting ≥3 nonfinancial barriers and lack of insurance being the strongest predictor in the elderly. Addressing financial barriers to healthcare may help alleviate these nonfinancial barriers.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kefasi Nyikahadzoi ◽  
Byron Zamasiya ◽  
George Alex Muchinako ◽  
Charles Dziro

The study sought to establish factors that contribute towards food security among elderly headed households and then seek ways of enhancing them. The study was conducted in Mudzi District in Mashonaland East Province of Zimbabwe. Data was collected from wards 11, 12 and 16. The study used cross sectional household data collected using a structured questionnaire. Two measures of food security are used; namely household food insecurity access score and household dietary diversity score. The results showed that food insecurity access score was statistically higher for elderly headed household when compared to those headed by younger people. The study revealed that social capital, remittances, and off farm income generating projects can increase the elderly headed household’s likelihood of being food secure. The study also showed that public assistance is not making a positive contribution towards food security of elderly headed household. This paper argues that it is important for government and civil society to promote social capital and support channels of remittances to elderly headed households in communal areas.


Anemia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Kelemu Fentie ◽  
Tolassa Wakayo ◽  
Getu Gizaw

Background. Anemia defined as a low blood hemoglobin concentration is public health importance. The adolescence age group is the most neglected in public health and nutrition research as priorities are usually given to pregnant women, lactating mothers, and their children less than 2 years. Current Ethiopian Food and Nutrition policy included adolescent girls in the most at-risk group for nutritional demands; however, only a few published studies have assessed a deficiency of anemia and associated factors to tackle the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. Objective. To assess the prevalence of anemia and associated factors among high school adolescent girls in Jimma town. Methods. Data were collected from 528 secondary school adolescent girls by a school-based cross-sectional study design in Jimma town from 1/1/2019 to 1/2/2019, southwest Ethiopia. A multistage sampling technique was used to select the study participants. A portable battery-operated HemoCue Hb 301+ analyzer was used to measure the hemoglobin level, and then reading was classified as normal Hb ≥ 12 g\dl and anemic if the hemoglobin value <12 g/dl based on the WHO 2011 recommended cutoff points after adjustments to altitude was made. Bivariate analysis at p value ≤0.25 was considered as a candidate for multivariable logistic regression. Multivariable logistic regression was done to control for confounders and to identify factors independently associated with anemia. Level of statistical significance was declared at p<0.05. Results. A total of 528 adolescent girls were included in the study yielding a response rate of 95.8%. The prevalence of anemia was found to be 26.7%, 95% CI (22.7, 30.50). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, those living separately from their family (AOR = 4.430, 95% CI (2.20, 8.90)), low dietary diversity score (AOR = 3.57, 95% CI (1.88, 6.75)), menstrual bleeding more than 5 days (AOR = 2.25, 95% CI (1.17, 4.33)), and low economic status (AOR = 2.16, 95% CI (1.17, 4.33)) were positively associated factors with anemia and only having at least a secondary school in mother’s educational status AOR = 0.43, 95% CI (0.18, 0.97) was negatively associated with anemia in the study area. Conclusion. Prevalence of anemia among school adolescent girls was moderate public health importance according to the World Health Organization prevalence estimation of anemia. The living condition of the adolescent girls, dietary diversity score, duration of menses, and low economic status were positive predictor variables, whereas mothers who are being secondary school and above was a protective factor for anemia. Therefore, iron-rich and diversified food consumption should be given attention.


2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 818-826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine L van Elsland ◽  
Marinka van der Hoeven ◽  
Shubhangini Joshi ◽  
Colleen M Doak ◽  
Maiza Campos Ponce

AbstractObjectiveTo explore associations between household food security and home gardening, use of soya and pressure cooker ownership in low-income households affected by HIV/AIDS in Aurangabad, India.DesignCross-sectional pilot study which assessed household food security using the validated US Department of Agriculture's food security core-module questionnaire. Questions were added to explore household environment, education, occupation, home gardening, use of soya and pressure cooker ownership. Households with very lowv. low food security were compared using logistic regression analysis, controlling for confounding by socio-economic status.SettingAurangabad is an urban setting situated in a primarily agricultural dependent area. The study was carried out in 2008, at the peak of the global food crisis.SubjectsAdult caregivers of children affiliated with the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Aurangabad.ResultsAll except for one of 133 households were identified as food insecure (99·2 %). Of these households, 35·6 % had to cut size or skip a meal in the past 30 d. Households that cut meal size due to cooking fuel shortages were more likely to have very low food security (OR = 4·67; 95 % CI 1·62, 13·44) compared with households having no cooking fuel shortages. Owning a pressure cooker was shown to be protective against very low food security after controlling for confounding by socio-economic status (OR = 0·27; 95 % CI 0·11, 0·64).ConclusionsOnly pressure cooker ownership showed a protective association with low household food security. Pressure cookers save household fuel costs. Therefore, future interventions should explore pressure cookers as a sustainable means of improving household food security.


2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans-Peter Y Qvist

During the last 20–30 years Western societies have witnessed large scale migration from the Global South. This has given rise to important challenges in securing the social, civic and political integration of non-Western immigrants into Western societies. Previous research has suggested that participation in volunteering in civil society can serve as a ‘stepping stone’ towards integration for immigrants. Whilst the previous studies have shown marked gaps in the propensity to participate in volunteering between immigrants and natives, little work has been done to identify the mechanisms that explain these gaps. In this study, high-quality survey data, linked with data from administrative registers, are used, with the application of logistic regression based on the Karlson–Holm–Breen method to conduct mediation analysis. The mediation analysis shows that non-Western immigrants are significantly less likely to participate in secular volunteering compared to natives; however, over half of this gap is explained by an indirect effect via socio-economic status, self-rated health, generalized trust, informal social networks and the intergenerational transmission of volunteering. Moreover, the mediation analysis suggests that non-Western immigrants are more likely to participate in religious volunteering: this is completely explained by a strong indirect effect occurring via religiosity.


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