STUDY OF FOOD INSECURITY PREVALENCE IN RURAL AREAS OF BOYERAHMAD PROVINCE, SOUTHWEST OF IRAN

Background and Aim: Food security, a fundamental human need, is to ensure receiving adequate and nutritious food at all times and places for human being. In the present study, we surveyed the food insecurity prevalence among households reside in rural areas of Boyerahmad province, located in south-west of IranMethods: In this cross-sectional study, we surveyed 560 households in Boyerahmad villages through a cluster random sampling method. The data collection included filling out radimer/cornell food insecurity questionnaire interviewing with the mothers, to determine the prevalence and severity of food insecurity at household, child and personal level. Information on socio-demographic and economic status of families and height and weight of interviewee were recorded in the study questionnaire. We reported findings as frequency and percent, mean and standard deviation and compared them by chi square test and independent samples t test, using SPSS 19Results: The majority of households (62.3%) were food insecure. Personal food-insecurity and children food-insecurity prevalence was 50.5% and 34.6% respectively. Chi-square test showed that maternal education, paternal education, father job and family income are correlated with food insecurity in family, personal and children levels (p <0.0001). In addition, the family size was higher in food-insecure groups than food secure households were. Conclusion: The prevalence of food insecurity in rural areas of Boyerahmad province is high and most important determinants of food insecurity are the low socioeconomic status, the level of education and occupation and the family size

Keywords:

Household food-security , Personal food-security , Child food-security