Skip to main content

Table 1 General characteristics of the study population based on food insecurity levels

From: Household food insecurity is associated with abdominal but not general obesity among Iranian children

 

Household food secure (n = 169)

Household food insecure (n = 196)

Individual food insecure (n = 116)

Child hunger (n = 106)

P-value

Age (year)

9.19 ± 1.43a

9.30 ± 1.52

9.34 ± 1.47

9.44 ± 1.56

0.593

BMI (Kg/m2)

17.51 ± 3.14

17.59 ± 3.83

17.20 ± 3.74

18.32 ± 12.19

0.577

Waist circumference (cm)

62.57 ± 8.38

64.57 ± 9.25

61.52 ± 9.25

64.15 ± 9.66

0.02

Family size (number)

3.97 ± 0.82

3.98 ± 0.87

4.15 ± 0.89

4.39 ± 1.66

0.01

Birth order

1.62 ± 0.88

1.65 ± 0.87

1.66 ± 0.79

1.91 ± 1.20

0.06

Birth weight (gram)

3046.16 ± 681.23

2974.82 ± 794.44

3089.09 ± 2404.24

2729.67 ± 1097.59

0.16

Maternal age at birth (year)

26.23 ± 5.08

26.79 ± 4.83

26.24 ± 4.98

26.55 ± 5.78

0.71

Gender (female) (%)

72.2

76

74.1

77.4

0 .76

Physical activity (%)

 Low

31

39.4

30.1

35.6

0.26

 Moderate

27.6

32.5

35.5

27.6

 Severe

41.4

28.1

34.4

36.8

Obesity (%)

 Abdominal obesity

38.5

48.4

25.9

39.2

0.002

 General obesity

20.1

22.4

12.9

14.2

0.109

Multiple births (%)

1.8

1.5

0.9

3.8

0.41

Preterm birth (%)

10.4

9.5

11.9

16.8

0.28

Exclusive breastfeeding (%)

59.1

56.5

52.8

52.9

0.67

Commencement of complementary feeding before 6 months (%)

17.9

13.4

21.2

15.2

0.32

Breastfeeding under 6 month (%)

8.5

9.5

6.4

11.5

0.61

Mother education (higher than high school diploma) (%)

52.8

42.6

17.4

15.2

<0.001

Father education (higher than high school diploma) (%)

60.5

39.7

20.4

17.2

<0.001

Obese Mother (%)

11.8

11.1

10.9

24.0

0.03

Obese Father (%)

11.4

13.3

8.2

21.6

0.07

Economic status (%)

 Low

10.1

21.0

49.5

77.4

<0.001

 Moderate

28.8

40.7

34.1

17.9

 Wealthy

61.2

38.3

16.5

4.8

  1. aValues are mean ± standard deviation, otherwise indicated