Household food security in Isfahan based on current population survey adapted questionnaire

Food security is a state in which all people at every time have physical and economic access to adequate food to obviate nutritional needs and live a healthy and active life. Therefore, this study was performed to quantitatively evaluate the household food security in Esfahan using the localized version of US Household Food Security Survey Module [US HFSSM]. This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in year 2006 on 3000 households of Esfahan. The study instrument used in this work is 18-item US food security module, which is developed into a localized 15-item questionnaire. This study is performed in two stages of families with no children [under 18 years old] and families with children over 18 years old. The results showed that item severity coefficient, ratio of responses given by households and item infit and outfit coefficient in adult's and children's questionnaire respectively. According to obtained data, scale score of +3 in adults group is described as determination limit of slight food insecurity and +6 is stated as the limit for severe food insecurity. For children's group, scale score of +2 is defined to be the limit of slight food insecurity and +5 is the determination limit of severe food insecurity. The main hypothesis of this survey analysis is based on the raw scale score of USFSSM The item of "lack of enough money for buying food" [item 2] and the item of "lack of balanced meal" [3[rd] item] have the lowest severity coefficient. Then, the ascending rate of item severity continues in first item, 4[th] item and keeps increasing into 10[th] item

Relation between salt intake and blood pressure among Iranians

To determine the mean 24 hr urinary sodium [UNa] and chloride [UCl] excretion, and the association between these variables and blood pressure, since studies on the effect of habitual dietary salt intake and some electrolytes on blood pressure were reported different. Experimental population-based study Urban areas, Isfahan city, Iran Nine hundred and twelve randomly selected patients aged 20-60 years 24-hour urine and food records were collected three times in one month. Systolic [SBP] and diastolic [DBP] blood pressures, heart rate and sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride and creatinine levels in urine samples were measured. Estimated mean daily salt intake based on UNa excretion in Iranian population is 9.9 + 2.9 g/day [men: 11.1 + 3.0 g/day and women: 9.6 + 2.9 g/day; p = 0.001]. The UNa excretion value was 189.7 + 51.4 mmol for men and 164.6 + 49.8 mmol for women, with a significant difference [p = 0.001]. After adjustment for confounding factors and other urinary electrolytes, no relationship was found between UNa and SBP [b = 0.001, p = 0.89] or DBP [b = 0.007, p = 0.34] in the pooled data. Significant relationship was observed between UCl excretion and SBP in hypertensives [b = 0.113, p = 0.001], UNa excretion and DBP in the entire group [r = 0.04, p = 0.004] and in normotensive men [r = 0.036, p = 0.03]. Salt intake is one of the main factors affecting blood pressure among Iranian men but not women