The Relationship Between Household Food Insecurity With Food and Nutrition Literacy Among Children in Mashhad, Iran: A Cross-sectional Study
Abstract 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. HFI was inversely associated with overall FNLIT score (β= - 0.12, p= 0.006), as well as nutritional health knowledge (β= - 0.08, p=0.01), and food label literacy (β= - 0.15, p< 0.001). Furthermore, food-insecure children had a higher likelihood of having low FNLIT score (OR = 2.89, CI: 1.03-8.09; p = 0.04) than the food-secure subjects. In conclusion, there is a negative association between HFI and FNLIT in children. Further studies to confirm this finding are needed.