Iranian Households Research Articles

Marginalized two part model for analyzing multilevel semicontinuous medical costs in Iranian households

Medical costs (MCs) represent a significant burden on household finances and often lead to economic challenges. This study analyzed the data of 8,993 Iranian households from 2021 collected by the Iranian Statistical Center. Using a marginalized two-part model (MTP) with lognormal and gamma distributions, the relationship between MCs and factors such as age, gender, education, and household characteristics was examined. A two-level structure was applied to account for heterogeneity across provinces, with analyzes performed using R software. The mean annual MC was $180 with high variability (SD = $324.39). The main determinants included family size, residence area, education level, and socioeconomic status. Single households and families with more students had lower MCs. Among the models evaluated, the MTP-Lognormal model (MTP-LN) performed better than the MTP-Gamma model (MTP-G), as it provided better predictive accuracy and better reflected cost differences between province. These results highlight the socio-economic and demographic factors that influence household MCs in Iran. The MTP-LN model provides valuable insights for identifying at-risk groups and developing targeted interventions to reduce the financial burden of healthcare, especially for vulnerable populations. This study emphasizes the importance of tailored interventions to address regional inequalities and promote equitable access to healthcare.

Comparing the cost and affordability of nutritious and sustainable food baskets by zone of Iran: 2016-2019

Comparing the cost and affordability of nutritious and sustainable food baskets by zone of Iran: 2016-2019

A feminist international political economy of sanctions: crises and the shifting gendered regimes of labor and survival in Iran

ABSTRACT This article proposes a feminist international political economy (IPE) framework to explore how economic sanctions, an underexplored economic tool of international conflict, may (re)shape gendered regimes of labor and survival in sanctioned contexts. Focusing on Iran’s intensified sanctions regime since 2012, and building on feminist IPE work on crisis and social reproduction, it argues that sanctions-induced crises in Iran have led to a feminization of survival in the country. Emphasis is placed on how feminized informality is simultaneously mobilized and invisibilized by the Iranian state as women’s productive and reproductive roles have been reshaped in the state’s narratives and policies. While patriarchal ideologies associating women with socially reproductive labor have been entrenched, women have also been constructed as “economic patriots” in the state’s neoliberal policies, which encourages home-based informal activities as part of a national poverty reduction strategy. Methodologically, the article combines this feminist policy analysis with insights earned from a six-month period of fieldwork involving 25 semi-structured interviews to show how these policy shifts, combined with the direct effects of sanctions, which have fundamentally reshaped and constrained everyday life, are turning feminized informality into a survival strategy for many middle-class urban households in Iran.

Modeling the determinants of cigarette consumption in Iranian households with children under 5 years of age using the Income and Expenditure Survey 2021

BackgroundCigarette smoking remains a significant public health concern, with detrimental effects on both smokers and those exposed to secondhand smoke. This study investigates the factors influencing smoking behaviors in Iranian households, focusing on households with children under five years old.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 8751 Iranian households using data from the Iranian Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) collected by the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) in 2021. A variety of count regression models were examined, including Poisson (P), Negative Binomial (NB), Generalized Poisson (GP) and their zero-inflated counterparts. The best fitting model was selected based on goodness-of-fit indices.ResultsApproximately 87% of households were non-smokers, with a mean daily cigarette consumption of 14.29 (SD = 8.64) among smokers. The three-level Zero-Inflated Generalized Poisson (TL-ZIGP) model was considered a suitable model for the interpretation of the data. Key predictors of smoking included older age, male gender, lower education, higher income, and larger homes. Homeownership was negatively associated with smoking. Considerable geographic variation in smoking prevalence was observed.ConclusionsSocioeconomic and demographic factors, including lifestyle and geographic regions, are associated with smoking behavior among Iranian households. A three-level ZIGP regression model is appropriate for analyzing these complex relationships. This study reveals different patterns of smoking prevalence in different population subgroups and emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to effectively reduce smoking rates.

From tradition to transition: historical trends and projection of female-headed households in Iran

From tradition to transition: historical trends and projection of female-headed households in Iran

Southern Iranian households preparedness in disasters and relationship with demographic factors

Southern Iranian households preparedness in disasters and relationship with demographic factors

The challenge of making EVs just affordable enough: Assessing the impact of subsidies on equity and emission reduction in Ireland

The challenge of making EVs just affordable enough: Assessing the impact of subsidies on equity and emission reduction in Ireland

Disparities in Breastfeeding Patterns Persist Despite Improved Rates: Findings from Irish COSI R6

Abstract Background Breastfeeding is crucial for reducing childhood obesity, recommended exclusively for 6 months by World Health Organisation (WHO). Previous reports have highlighted disparities in breastfeeding patterns between Irish and non-Irish mothers. The Irish Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) family survey offers insights into breastfeeding rates and patterns in Ireland and their differences between Irish and non-Irish mothers. Aims This study aims to compare the breastfeeding rates in Ireland between COSI Round 6 (R6) and COSI R5, elucidating the differences between Irish and non-Irish mothers. Additionally, it aims to establish the association between breastfeeding pattern and socio-economic factors involved in the Irish households. Methods Parents of 1st and 2nd class children (mean age 7) from 121 sentinel schools invited to participate in the family survey, returned it by post or online using Lime Survey. Ethical approval was secured for COSI R6, with consent from families. Data on breastfeeding rates and pattern were collected, anonymised, and analysed using SPSS version 29. Results Around 88% of respondents were mothers. The number of children breastfed for at least a month increased in R6 (55.7%) compared to R5 (45.6%). The mean duration of exclusive breastfeeding increased to 5.86 months in R6 from 4.91 months in R5, in line with WHO recommendations. Significant disparities were found in breastfeeding patterns, with higher rates among non-Irish mothers (67.8%) compared to Irish mothers (52.6%) (p < 0.001). Linear regression showed a significant association between breastfeeding duration and maternal birth country. Irish mothers exhibited a negative coefficient (b1=-2.442; 95% CI -4.1 to -0.8; p = 0.004), suggesting shorter breastfeeding durations compared to non-Irish mothers. Conclusions Breastfeeding rates improved in COSI R6 compared to R5. There are significant disparities in breastfeeding pattern between Irish and non-Irish mothers. Key messages • Improved breastfeeding rates indicate good feeding practices in Ireland. • Targeted interventions and policies are necessary to address the disparities between Irish and non-Irish mothers in breastfeeding patterns.

Dietary changes during the COVID-19 lockdown in Iranian households: are we witnessing a secular trend? A narrative review.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in late 2019, influenced nearly all aspects of human life, including food choices and dietary habits. A web-based search was conducted from March to April 2024 in MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for published reports of large-scale surveys of dietary changes during or shortly after the coronavirus pandemic lockdown in Iran. The keywords used were coronavirus OR COVID-19, diet OR nutrition, household, and Iran. Studies that focused on specific areas, subgroups (such as students), or just one city or province were not included. To monitor dietary changes from the years before the lockdown, we used and plotted data from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), as provided by the Statistical Center of Iran. The overall results of the nationwide studies conducted during the lockdown period in Iran revealed that a significant proportion of the households reduced their consumption of milk, yogurt, cheese, red meat, white meat, eggs, and rice/bread. In approximately 47% of the households where weekly consumption of animal protein sources decreased, the consumption of rice and bread increased. Accordingly, 35 and 44% of households reported a decrease in the consumption frequency of fruits and snacks, respectively. Additionally, 21% of those who reduced their fruit consumption completely removed fruits from their food basket. Meanwhile, the use of dietary supplements, especially vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, and multivitamins, had increased in households, particularly among those with higher incomes. Decreased income was a common reason for all of these dietary changes, which can have major health consequences in the long term. This review provides evidence that the observed changes had already begun years before the pandemic and presumably have not yet returned to the pre-pandemic situation. Finally, we suggest some strategies for policymakers to overcome the crisis and enhance community the nutrition and health of general population.

Effects of Socio-Economic and Demographic Factors on Meat Consumption Pattern in Iran: A Demand System Approach

Meat as one of the most important resources of protein has a special role in human nutrition. Understanding the meat consumption structure of households is essential for planning and policymaking in this regard. In this research, we studied consumption patterns of meat products including chicken, veal, lamb, and fish for households in Iran (Mashhad city) using demand system estimation. The hypothesis of this study is that chicken is a necessary goods and other types of meat are luxury goods. Given the cross-sectional nature of the data and presence of zero expenditure for some households, we used the censored demand model based on a consistent two-step approach. For this purpose, at first, four Probit models were estimated to determine the factors affecting the probability of purchasing each selected meat product. After that, the probability density function (PDF) and the cumulative distribution function (CDF) were calculated for each selected meat product, and the Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) considering PDF and CDF was estimated for all types of meat using a non-linear seemingly unrelated regression. Also, the effect of demographic variables on meat consumption pattern was considered in demand system. The results of expenditure elasticities confirmed the hypothesis. The highest own-price elasticity was related to veal. Based on compensated price elasticities, all types of meat were net substitutes for chicken and chicken was also a net complement for all types of meat. On the other hand, the only substitute for lamb and chicken was veal, but with compensating income effect fish also became a substitute for them. So, in the event of an increase of the price of lamb and chicken, we recommend subsidizing the consumers with low purchasing power in order to increase the diversity of consumption of protein products. This can increase the consumption of fish.

Dairy Product Consumption among Adults and Determining the Population-Attributable Risk of Common Non-Communicable Diseases: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Over the past decade, Iranian households have experienced a decline in dairy product consumption. This study aimed to evaluate the population-attributable risk of prevalent non-communicable diseases related to dairy product consumption. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study involved 628 adults over 18 years old in Hamadan City in 2021. Clusters were selected based on comprehensive urban health centers. The standardized Iranian version of the food frequency questionnaire was used. Participants were categorized into 3 levels of dairy product consumption: >1 serving per day, 1–2 servings per day, and ≥3 servings per day. Results: The mean age of the 628 participants was 38.05 (SD: 12.5), with 42.36% being male. Cheese (54.5%), yogurt (39.7%), and milk (30.4%) were consumed most frequently. The prevalence of insufficient dairy product consumption was 48.6%, higher than that reported in previous studies. Insufficient dairy product consumption was associated with hypertension (9.3%), cardiovascular disease (5.6%), and osteoporosis (5.1%). Conclusion: Individuals with lower education levels, female gender, lowest quartile of socioeconomic status, and those diagnosed with cardiovascular disease were more likely to have insufficient dairy product consumption. Insufficient dairy product consumption was associated with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis.

Welfare Effects of Food Tariff Changes on Urban and Rural Households

This study aims to analyze the effects of food tariff changes on the welfare of urban and rural households in Iran. The study considers the role of households as consumers, producers, and workers, as well as the market structure over the past fifteen years. Firstly, the study estimated the consumption behavior for the main food groups using the QUAIDS and pseudo-panel data. Then, the extent of tariff pass-through to domestic food prices was determined, and after that, price-wage elasticity and wage changes as a result of tariff changes were estimated. Finally, it calculated the effect of tariff changes on household purchasing power and income through an indirect utility function to get welfare effects. The results indicate that tariff pass-through to food prices is incomplete and varies between urban and rural areas. The study has found that skilled labor is more sensitive to food tariff reductions than unskilled labor, particularly in rural areas. The results reveal that tariff changes positively affect urban households' welfare, while rural households experience a loss due to these changes. Urban areas benefit from reduced household expenditure, while food prices are increasing in rural areas due to weak or absent tariff pass-through. Although these increases favor producers, they do not compensate for the loss suffered by consumers, resulting in reduced welfare in rural areas. The findings show that the effects of tariff changes vary across regions, not only between urban and rural areas but also among different provinces. Furthermore, the tariff reductions have been a boon for consumers, but a bane for producers, ultimately harming production in the long term. The findings suggest that regional markets may be either sufficient or insufficient to convert pass-through-the-border prices into domestic prices. Therefore, policymakers can use this study as a useful guide to reform the regional market structure to raise household welfare, food security, and income inequality.

Economic Sanctions and Food Consumption: Evidence from Iranian Households

Abstracts Despite scholarly consensus on the harmful effects of economic sanctions on civilians, there is little micro-level empirical research on how and to what extent economic sanctions affect the food consumption of citizens in sanctioned countries. One of the methodological barriers to studying the micro-level dynamics of sanctions is the limited availability of reliable data in sanctioned countries, which are often governed by authoritarian leaders. Our study leverages an original dataset comprising approximately 1 million observations related to the income and expenses of Iranian households from 1991 to 2021. We assess the impact of economic sanctions on individual food consumption at the national level and among distinct demographic segments. To illustrate how and to what extent international sanctions affected citizens' eating habits, we pay particular attention to 2012–2015 and 2018–2021, when Iran was subject to the most severe sanctions. Our findings demonstrate that while all segments of society feel the effects of economic coercion, low-income citizens' food consumption is more likely to deteriorate due to sanctions. Nonetheless, the geographical impact of sanctions presents a mixed picture, with rural and urban areas each exhibiting specific vulnerabilities to certain food items. We discuss the implications of our findings for sanctions policy and human rights.

Do Pro-Environmental Factors Lead to Customers’ Purchase Intention of Home Energy Management System? The Moderating Effects of Energy-Efficient Habits

Environmental challenges, encompassing climate change and global warming, compel consumers to alter their consumption habits. Although there has been a notable surge in consumer awareness regarding pro-environmental practices, especially concerning home energy, there remains a lack of comprehensive research exploring the factors affecting consumers' willingness to adopt or invest in home energy management system (HEMS) technology. Notably, there have been no studies focused on the factors influencing HEMS purchase intentions (PI) in the Iranian context. Grounded in the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the norm activation model (NAM), this research delves into PI of Iranian households regarding HEMS, categorizing it as a type of eco-friendly behavior. It specifically analyzes the influence of factors such as attitude (ATT), social norms (SN), perceived behavioral control (PBC), awareness of consequences (AOC), personal norms (PN), and energy-efficient habits (EEH). Moreover, this research scrutinizes the potential moderating effects of EEH on the association among ATT, PBC, and PI. Using structural equation modeling, an innovative integrated model was tested based on data collected from 220 Iranian residents. The findings revealed that ATT, SN, AOC, and EEH significantly contribute to the purchase intention of HEMS among Iranians. Additionally, both AOC and SN were found to influence PN. These insights offer a fresh perspective on the pro-environmental determinants shaping the HEMS purchase decisions of Iranian consumers.

Investigating the price volatility spillover effects in the poultry industry inputs market and the egg market in Iran: using the multivariate DCC-GARCH model

BackgroundThis paper investigates the effects of price volatility spillover in the poultry industry’s input markets, including soybean meal, day-old chicks and corn, and the foreign exchange market as an independent market, on the wholesale egg market in Iran. The experimental investigation is based on dynamic conditional correlation (GARCH-DCC). It is one of the most powerful and accepted methods for studying market volatility, whose representation is based on conditional variance. On the other hand, eggs are one of the main food items in the food basket of Iranian households, playing an important role in ensuring part of the food security of the country. However, the price volatilities of its inputs, which make up more than 70% of egg production costs, cause the instability of its price and the confusion of the producers of this sector. This is although in the relevant literature, there is little research on the issue of volatility spillover effects on agricultural product markets, especially in the country.ResultsThe findings show that any shock in the input market leads to volatility and instability in the market; on the other hand, these volatilities maintain their stability. In addition, there is a spillover of exchange market volatility into corn and soybean meal input markets.ConclusionsIn that context, this article emphasizes the knowledge of market relationships and their consequences, thereby suggesting appropriate policies to control and support the domestic poultry industry.

Uncovering regional disparities in nutrient efficiency and food waste: a geospatial analysis of Iranian households

Uncovering regional disparities in nutrient efficiency and food waste: a geospatial analysis of Iranian households

Harnessing Curtailed Wind-Generated Electricity via Electrical Water Heating Aggregation to Alleviate Energy Poverty: A Use Case in Ireland

Ireland experiences high energy poverty rates alongside surplus wind energy resources. With 77% of Irish households equipped with electrical immersion heaters for domestic hot water (DHW) generation, this study proposes an Electrical Water Heating Aggregation (EWHA) scheme. The scheme allocates surplus wind-generated electricity to provide DHW to fuel-poor households, thereby alleviating energy poverty through harnessing curtailed wind energy. Through a developed wind-generated electricity allocation model and half-hourly data analysis for a weather year, this research assesses the feasibility and economic viability of the EWHA scheme, focusing on the householder as the primary benefactor from the scheme (as opposed to ancillary grid service provision). The results suggest an optimal aggregation size where maximum curtailment and carbon offset coincide with maximum benefits for participants. The findings indicate that fuel-poor households in Ireland could receive a full DHW tank every three weeks using surplus wind energy, harnessing 89% of overnight curtailed wind energy and offsetting 33 MkgCO2 annually. Moreover, the scheme could potentially save the Irish state approximately EUR 4 million by 2030, increasing to EUR 11 million by 2050, in carbon costs. Overall, this research demonstrates the potential of EWHA schemes to alleviate energy poverty, optimise wind energy utilisation, and contribute significantly to carbon emission reduction targets.

Social path assessment and food security status of rural households in Iran

IntroductionFood and nutrition are the most vital needs of human society and its provision lies in the category of food security. The concept of food security is very broad and is determined by the interaction of a range of biological, economic, social, agricultural, and physical factors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the social factors affecting food security among rural households.MethodsThis is quantitative research conducted by survey method. The statistical population included 384 rural households in Shiraz County that were selected by stratified random sampling. Data analysis was performed using SPSS and LISREL software.Results and discussionResults indicated that the values of combined reliability calculated for all three variables studied were >0.7, which implies that research tools have good reliability and validity. The results of structural analysis of social capital and social health variables with food security using confirmatory factor analysis techniques and structural equations showed social capital variable affects food security directly and social health variable has an indirect effect. According to the value of fitness indicators obtained; it was found that the structural equation model of the research variables had a suitable and acceptable fit and the general structure of the research was approved. Hence, the components used in the research were able to estimate food security. Accordingly, by improving the level of social capital and social health, promotion of food security in communities, would be expected.

Modeling residential photovoltaic adoption: A system dynamics approach for solar energy expansion

Modeling residential photovoltaic adoption: A system dynamics approach for solar energy expansion

Catastrophic Health Expenditure among Iranian Households: Evidence from the COVID-19 Era.

Monitoring households' exposure to catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) based on out-of-pocket (OOP) health payments is a critical tool for evaluating the equitable financial protection status within the health system. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented global change and potentially affected the mentioned protection indicators. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of CHE among households in Iran during the COVID-19 period. The present study employed a retrospective-descriptive design utilizing data derived from two consecutive cross-sectional Annual Household Income and Expenditure Surveys (HIES) undertaken by the Statistical Centre of Iran (SCI) in 2020 and 2021. The average annual OOP health payments and the prevalence of households facing CHE were estimated separately for rural and urban areas, as well as at the national level. Based on the standard method recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), CHE was identified as situations in which OOP health payments surpass 40% of a household's capacity to pay (CTP). The intensity of CHE was also calculated using the overshoot measure. All statistical analyses were carried out using Excel-2016 and Stata-14 software. The average OOP health payments increased in 2021, compared to 2020, across rural and urban areas as well as at the national level. Urban residents consistently experienced higher OOP health payments than rural residents and the national level in both years. At the national level, the prevalence of CHE was 2.92% in 2020 and increased to 3.18% in 2021. In addition, rural residents faced a higher prevalence of CHE based on total health services OOP, outpatient services OOP, and inpatient services OOP compared to urban residents and the national level. Regarding the intensity of CHE using overshoot, the results for 2020 and 2021 revealed that the overshoot ranged between 0.60% and 0.65% in rural areas, between 0.30% and 0.33% in urban areas, and between 0.38% and 0.41% at the national level. A considerable percentage of households in Iran still incur CHE. This trend has increased in the second year of COVID-19 compared to the first year, as households received more healthcare services. The situation is even more severe for rural residents. There is an urgent need for targeted interventions in the health system, such as strengthening prepayment mechanisms, to reduce OOP and ensure equitable protection for healthcare recipients.