Abstract
Background
Food insecurity is still a concern not only in low- and middle-income countries but also in high-income countries and it is reported to have a relationship with health outcome such as chronic diseases. This study was conducted to compare diet quality and health-related quality of life in young adults according to their household income and food security.
Methods
Our population-based sample included 10,224 young adults aged 19–34 y participating in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2008–2018. The participants were classified into four groups according to household income and food security: food security & higher-income, food insecurity & higher-income, food security & low-income, and food insecurity & low-income. General characteristics, daily diet, and nutritional quality were compared among the four groups.
Results
The percentage of participants consuming daily diet with protein, vitamin A, B1, B2, niacin, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, and iron less than Estimated Average Requirement increased in the food insecurity & low-income group. In case of most commonly consumed food, ramen and sprite were highly placed in the food insecurity & low-income group while apple and beef ranked relatively high in the food security & higher-income group. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval, CI) of Euro Quality of Life five Dimensions (EQ5D) in the food insecurity & low-income group were 1.55 (1.05–2.29) and 1.33 (1.07–1.64) for mobility and anxiety/depression respectively, compared to the food security & higher-income group after adjusting confounding factors.
Conclusions
Household food insecurity and low-income had relationships with poor diet quality and poor health-related quality of life in young adults, in particular, mobility and anxiety/depression.
Associations of Household Food Security with Health-Related Quality of Life in Various Districts of Tehran
