Sakineh Nouri SAEIDLOU, Fariba BABAEI and Parvin AYREMLOU

ABSTRACT

Background: Nutritional factors have an important role in the incidence of non-communicable diseases and they are strong predictors of cardiovascular risk among adolescents. This study was conducted to assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of urban and rural households towards the principles of nutrition in West Azerbaijan Province.
Design and methods: This cross sectional population based study was conducted among 455 urban and rural households. The sampling method at households’ level in each area was the single stage cluster sampling. Data were collected by a structured questionnaire and through the interview with the eligible subject in each household. Analyses were performed using SPSS 20 statistical software. For qualitative data, results were presented as frequency and percentage.
Results: Out of a total of 455 households that were selected as overall sample size, 272 (59.8%) were in urban areas and 183 (40.2%) in rural areas. More than 50% of the households in both urban and rural areas were aware of food groups. More than 40% of the households in both urban and rural areas knew about the roles of food groups and the level of knowledge most frequently encountered was about the role of milk and dairy group in urban areas (88.6%). Vitamin intake associated with the role of fruits (68%) and vegetables (62.5%) had the highest frequency. Most of the respondents declared that they consumed certain foods for their effects related to health improvement and disease prevention. The results showed that 45.2-99.8% of them had favorable attitudes. Most of the households consumed red meat, poultry, egg and legumes weekly, whereas fish was eaten rarely. Fruits, vegetables, sugar and dairy were consumed daily in most of the households.
Conclusion: Higher nutrition knowledge is associated with better practice and diet quality. Our findings suggest that nutrition education should be integrated in a household training program.
Keywords: Nutrition, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Household, Iran

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Sakineh Nouri SAEIDLOU, Fatemeh REZAIEGOYJELOO, Parvin AYREMLOU and Fariba BABAIE

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Childhood overweight and obesity is a major public health problem in both developed and developing countries. Overweight and obesity in children may have severe consequences later in adolescence and adulthood. The aim of current study was to determine the prevalence trend of overweight and obesity in school-aged children from 2009 to 2011.

Methods: The present study was a population-based study and conducted in three consecutive years, from 2009 to 2011. The study population included all of primary, secondary and high school children in rural and urban regions of West Azerbaijan province in West-North of Iran. Body mass index (BMI), the ratio of weight to height squared [weight (kg)]/ [height (m)]2, was calculated to the nearest decimal place. Overweight and obesity were classified using CDC recommendations for age and sex: a BMI 85th–95th percentile was classified as overweight and a BMI >95th percentile was classified as obese. All statistical analyses were performed using the Excel Software. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample in different time periods. The prevalence was calculated as the ratio of number present cases to a given population number in a given subgroup at a given time.

Results: Overall, 165740, 145146 and 146203 school children were assessed at 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. Prevalence of overweight in primary school children among girls were 52.83, 86.93 and 116.36 and for boys were 57.07, 53.4 and 93.55 per 1000 person in 2009, 2010 and 2011 years, respectively. The prevalence of obesity in secondary school children for girls were 22.26, 27.75 and 28.43 and 26.52, 25.72 and 35.85 for boys per 1000 person in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively, The highest prevalence of overweight was 77.58, 142.4 and 126.46 per 1000 person among primary, secondary and high school children, respectively, in 2011. The lowest prevalence of obesity was 12.52, 24.1 and 21.61 per 1000 person among primary, secondary and high school children, respectively, in 2009.

Conclusion: However, the rapid increase in both obesity and overweight should have a special attention. Research on prevalence trend of overweight and obesity in children is poorly reported in Iran. So that, future studies need to follow-up on the associations between overweight and obesity with health outcomes when children develop and reach adolescence and adulthood.

Keywords: overweight, obesity, school children, prevalence trend, Iran

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