[Assessment of Farsi nutrition articles in Iranian scientific journals 2006-2011: an opportunity to revise nutrition research policy]

Periodic assessment is a useful strategy for analyzing the situation of nutrition research, and its results would help direct any future study. This study was conducted to assess Farsi nutrition articles in Iranian scientific journals, during 2006-2011 on the basis of the study design, publication type and subject headings. In a descriptive study, Farsi articles during 2006-2011 were searched and collected using "Iran's Nutrition Publication abstracts" database, and their study design, publication type and subject headings were determined. The data were analyzed using ?2, PASW Statistics 18 to find the significant differences of the study design, publication type and subject headings of the selected articles. The number of Farsi articles was 1518. There was a maximum number of original research articles [98.7%]; while, the number of systematic reviews was only two. "Clinical nutrition" [42.1%] and "techniques and methods" [3.4%] were the most and the least frequent topics respectively. The most frequent articles in study design were descriptives then trials. There was no significant difference in publication patterns of the study design, publication type and subject headings of the articles. Although the number of descriptive research articles has decreased during this period, it is still more than that of analytical articles. The consistent pattern of study design, publication type and subjects, beside the high number of descriptive publications show the necessity of revising the nutrition research policies

Validation and use of the HFIAS questionnaire for measuring household food insecurity in Varamin-2009

Measuring food insecurity has been an ongoing challenge to researchers. This study was carried out to assess the validity of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale [HFIAS] in measuring household food insecurity in an urban area of Varamin in 2009. In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 400 households from different parts of Varamin, a city south of Tehran, were selected by the multi stage cluster sampling method. Household food security was measured by the 9-item HFIAS questionnaire that asks whether a specific condition associated with the experience of food insecurity ever occurred during the previous 30 days. Based on the HAFIAS questionnaire score, households were categorized in 4 groups according to access to food; food secure, mildly, moderately and severely food insecure access. In the second stage of the study, 30 households were selected from each group. Food security was observed in 21% of households. Mildly, moderately and severely food insecure access was 46.5, 25 and 7.5%, respectively. Based on the responses to the 9 questions of the HFIAS questionnaire, perceptions that food is of insufficient quality [72%], two main factors emerged from the rotated principal component factor including: 1] Insufficient food quality and 2] Insufficient food intake. Both factors explained 77.5% of the total variance. HFIAS has good internal consistency [Cronbach's a= 0.95]. Food insecurity was observed in households in this urban area of Varamin. The HFIAS measurement instrument shows acceptable validity and reliability in measuring food insecurity among households

[Socio-economic and cultural factors affecting child feeding practices: an exploratory qualitative study in Damavand]

Early child nutrition plays a vital role in the growth and development not only in infancy but also later in life. This study was carried out to determine the views, beliefs and experience of mothers, caregivers and health professionals about the role of socio-economic and cultural factors in child feeding practices in Damavand, a district located in the north of Tehran, in 2008. In a qualitative study 23 focus group discussions [FGDs] were held with the presence of a facilitator, 2 rapporteurs, and a supervisor. Mothers of under-2-year-old children attended 11 FGDs, and 8 FGDs were arranged for home caregivers [grandmothers], out-of-home care-givers [community child health nurses], and rural and urban health workers. At the end of the field work all the notes taken in the FGDs were coded based on objectives of the study. Then the subgroups for each objective and emerging themes were derived and reported. The data were analyzed using content analysis. Most participants were aware of breast feeding and complementary feeding benefits. However, exclusive breast feeding was not followed precisely and the quality and diversity of the diet of children were ignored. The participants thought that social and economic factors, such as literacy, income, erroneous beliefs, family restrictions, and interference of elderly females, had a role in failure of breast and complementary feeding. Cultural factors appeared to have an important influence on mothers' infant feeding practices and feeding patterns of their children. To overcome the problems related to breast feeding and complementary feeding practices, revision of the current nutritional protocols and educational programs is essential. In addition, involvement of mothers, caregivers, elderly women, and all those involved in child care, in nutrition education activities is recommended

Changes of the body weight, fat mass and aerobic capacity and energy intake, following the skipped meal in young women

Young girls often intend to use food restricted diets to loose their body weight and to be fit. This study was carried out in order to determine the effect of food restriction on the changes of body weight, body fatness, aerobic capacity and energy intake in young women in Tehran. In a Quasi-experimental study, 40 volunteers were selected from girl students. Their weight, height, body fatness [by measuring Triceps Skin fold [TSF] Thickness], aerobic capacity [VO2max] and energy intake were measured at the beginning of the study. The students were asked to skip one of their meals per day for a period of four weeks. At the end of 4 weeks, all variables were measured again and compared with the previous data. Data were analyzed using paired t test. No significant differences were seen in weight, BMI, TSF and VO2max [P > 0.05]. We also did not find any significant difference in energy intake following the skipped meal in young women [P > 0.05]. The results of this study demonstrate that the food restriction for four weeks in young women has no significant effect in body weight and fatness. It seems that there is a physiological adaptation in energy intake and expenditure

[Height and weight of less than 5-year-old children, Tonekabon, 2000-2001]

Background and Objective: With respect to the increasing importance of the application of height and weight indexes to find out the nutritional status of children in society, this study was carried out on children aged less than 5 years living in Tonekabon [A city in west of Mazandaran]

Methods: In this descriptive study, 432 healthy children who were less than 5 years old were randomly selected by clustered sampling and were studied in four clusters, which 108 children less than 5 years old were in each cluster, and their height and weight were measured

Findings: The results indicated that the weight and height of children in all age groups were lower than the NCHS standard. Retardation in height growth was identically observed in all ages about eighty percent of the children had 2 standard deviation [SD] less than the mean of height for their age that it showed a previous moderate malnutrition. Thirty-seven percent of children had two SD less than the mean of weight for their age, which showed a moderate malnutrition. In this study, the boys were 81% [167 persons] and 38% [79 persons] less than -2 SD from NCHS in terms of height and weight for age respectively, while the girls were 80% [158 persons] and 38% [71 persons] less than -2 SD from NCHS in terms of height and weight for age, respectively

Conclusion: The results indicated that weight and height values of Tonekabonian children had many differences with NCHS standard, it is more conspicuous in individual's height, and approximately a large proportion of the studied ones had different degrees of malnutrition