title: High occurrence of food insecurity among urban Afghan refugees in Pakdasht, Iran 2008: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: This research aimed to evaluate food security and its association with anthropometric measures among Afghan refugees living in Pakdasht, one of the main harbors of Afghan refugees in the neighborhood of Tehran. A total of 414 registered Afghan refugee households were recruited in a cross-sectional study. About 88% of households were food insecure. Unemployment and socioeconomic status were the major determinants of food insecurity among the refugee households. While about 58% of women were overweight/obese, the prevalence of underweight and wasting were remarkable in children (11.0% and 12.7%, respectively), indicating a recent malnutrition. Government and organizations working for refugees must focus their activities on empowering Afghan refugees.
authors.affiliation: a Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Morteza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdollahi
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Abdollahi
authors.forename: Robabeh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sheikholeslam
authors.forename: Nasser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kalantari
authors.forename: Ziba
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kavehi
authors.forename: Tirang R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Neyestani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000346:Afghanistan / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002947:Cities; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D012036:Refugees; D012923:Social Class; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014478:Unemployment; D014505:Urban Population; D019282:Wasting Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology
keywords: anthropometry; food insecurity; nutrition; refugees