The impact of slum dwelling on healthy eating index in the border of Tehran
ISSN: 0034-6659
Article publication date: 25 November 2021
Issue publication date: 3 January 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Life conditions for most slum dwellers are deplorable, with poor socio-economic status and high rates of malnutrition and communicable diseases. Studies have shown lower intake of many nutrients in such people, but no study yet has checked the quality of diet using Healthy Eating Index (HEI) in them. This study aims to assess the quality of diet among slum dwellers of Tehran using the HEI-2015.
Design/methodology/approach
This cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 slum dwellers from two slums located on the border of Tehran city which is the capital of Iran. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select subjects for this study. Data on socioeconomic characteristics and 24-hours dietary recalls were obtained through face-to-face interviews with the respondents by trained personnel.
Findings
The overall diet quality of the respondents was poor, with a mean HEI score of 40.9 ± 23.7. About 84% of the participants had low overall HEI scores. A significant relation was seen in the following: the HEI and educational level (p = 0.044); the HEI and employment status (p = 0.001); and the HEI and chronic diseases (p = 0.049). There was no significant difference between the mean HEI score and marital status, welfare status and addiction status. From the findings, the diet of most of these slum dwellers needs modification. Therefore, taking measures to reduce slum dwelling and to improve the nutritional intake of this study population is needed.
Originality/value
The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors express their appreciation to all the participants of this study for their collaboration.
Authors’ contributions: FR, MAM, and SK had significant contributions with respect to the study design, and acquisition of data. FR, MSY were involved in the analysis and interpretation of data. FR and ATJ drafted the article. ATJ and ADM revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content. All authors have read and approved the final version of this manuscript.
Funding: This study was the result of the first author’s Master’s thesis in School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The research was supported by Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services Grant (grant No. 39300–161-01–97).
Availability of data and materials.
The data set analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on upon request.
Ethics approval and consent to participate.
The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Erratum: It has come to the attention of the publisher that the article, Foruzan Rajabzadeh, Mirsaeed Yekaninejad, Mohammadali Moshtaq, Shima Kordi, Aliyu Tijani Jibril, Ahmad Reza Dorosty Motlagh, “The impact of slum dwelling on healthy eating index in the border of Tehran” published in Nutrition & Food Science, omitted the author Zahra Esmaeily. This error was introduced in the editorial process and has now been corrected in the online version. The publisher sincerely apologises for this error and for any inconvenience caused.
Citation
Rajabzadeh, F., Yekaninejad, M., Moshtaq, M., Kordi, S., Jibril, A.T., Dorosty Motlagh, A.R. and Esmaeily, Z. (2022), "The impact of slum dwelling on healthy eating index in the border of Tehran", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 52 No. 1, pp. 26-32. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-12-2020-0470
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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