Food Insecurity in Obese Adolescent Females in Tehran Schools: An Examination of Anthropometric and Socio-Economic Factors

Abstract

Background: Obesity and its complications affect much of the population of the world today. In addition to physical complications, psychological complications also increase with increasing obesity. It has always been important to pay attention to the growing trend of childhood obesity, which is a factor in adulthood obesity and future chronic illnesses. Today, one of the factors that have been identified as effective in weight gain and obesity in urban communities is food insecurity, which is not merely a lack of food but also includes related factors such as upbringing, behaviour, psychosocial adaptation, and physical activity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of food insecurity on anthropometric indicators and other relevant factors in obese girls aged 11 to 14 years. Method: In this study, 452 obese female students aged 11 to 14 years, who had BMI more than 2SD above the WHO 2007 reference point, were randomly selected from several schools in three areas of Tehran. After obtaining written consent, demographic information and food security information was collected using a General and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) questionnaire. Anthropometric indices and fat percentage were also measured, based on skinfold and by callipers. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: There were significant differences between the level of father's education (p=0.004), mother's education (p<0.001), family economic status (p<0.001), and home ownership (p<0.001) in the two groups, food secure and insecure. There were also significant differences between height (p=0.02) and weight (p=0.03) in both groups. Also, according to an alternative 4-group food security categorization (secure, insecure without hunger, insecure with mild hunger, and severe hunger), significant differences were observed only in terms of father's job (p=0.004), father's education (p=0.001), mother's education (p<0.001), family economic status (p<0.001) and home ownership (p<0.001). Conclusion: There were significant associations between parents' occupation and education status, home ownership, household economic status, height and weight of children, and household food security status.