Effects of the nutrition education intervention on food security, anthropometry, and body composition in women: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity as a social determinant of health is associated with adverse physical health outcomes such as obesity. AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of nutrition education intervention based on the transtheoretical model (TTM) on food security, anthropometry, and body composition status. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, an intervention was conducted over months (five weeks) using the TTM among 160 women aged 19-64 years. Food security status, anthropometry, and body composition were determined three times: at baseline, three months, and six months after the intervention. RESULTS: In the intervention group, food insecurity significantly decreased before, immediately after, and six months after the intervention, these changes were significant in follow-up time and treatment effect. After six months of follow-up, the intervention group significantly decreased weight (-1.29 kg), body mass index (-0.54), and waist circumference (-3.48 cm). Although differences between the two groups were not statistically significant except in the interaction between follow-up time and intervention groups. Also, the mean of fat mass and total body water decreased in the intervention group and differences between the two groups were statistically significant in follow-up time (p < 0.001 and p = 0.01, respectively) and interaction between follow-up time and intervention group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.005, respectively). CONCLUSION: In the current study, the findings of a six-month TTM-based intervention among women were positive that revealed to be a strategy that may improve anthropometric and nutritional status. Therefore, government programs that offer nutrition counseling should be prioritized to help the population to improve their eating habits.

Challenges of Food Insecurity Indicators, Diet Quality and Weight Outcomes in Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Household food insecurity (FI) is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon. Despite much debate on FI, during the past decades several unaccounted aspects that are assumed to affect the FI of women still remain. Reducing the FI requires understanding its determinants. During this cross-sectional study (Jun to May of 2017), 188 women (19 ~ 64 years of age) were recruited in Sardrood-Tabriz, North-East Iran using cluster, random, and systematic sampling methods. Outcomes included socio-demographics, body compositions, anthropometric incidences, degree of FI, and five-item healthy eating scores (HES-5). Food security was classified as follows: high, marginal, low, and very low (HFS, MFS, LFS, and VLFS, respectively). Based on multiple logistic regression scores, significant relationships were found between household food security status and occupation, education level of household supervisor, number of girls and boys in the family, the household income level, and HES-5 [odds ratios (OR)=2.92; P=0.02, OR=46.57; P=0.03, OR=2.43; P=0.02, OR=2.56; P=0.005, OR=3.84; P=0.009, and OR=1.67; P<0.001, respectively], after adjusting for other factors. Influences inversely affecting diet quality and anthropometric indices may contribute to poor health status in affected women.