Abstract
Background: Food insecurity is a common issue in both developing and developed countries and is associated with numerous chronic disorders such as hyperlipidemia, heart disease, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to explore the relationship between food insecurity and demographic and nutritional parameters in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 338 obese and overweight patients with NAFLD. A valid and reliable questionnaire was used to collect demographic information, including age, gender, household size, employment, income, and education. Anthropometric assessments were conducted, and food insecurity was investigated using a validated questionnaire. Furthermore, statistical assays were performed by SPSS version 16.
Results: The study found that 18.34% of patients have low food security, while 12.72% experienced very low food security. Female gender, higher family size, lower educational attainment, lower income, and non-employed status were identified as significant determinants of food insecurity among patients with NAFLD (P<0.05). Moreover, patients with food insecurity tended to be older and consumed higher amounts of grain and cereals but lower amounts of fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat. In a stepwise multivariate regression model, higher weight was a positive predictor of food insecurity (P=0.04), while higher educational attainment and household income exhibited protective effects against food insecurity (P<0.01).
Conclusion: This study revealed the role of age, gender, income, and education in developing food insecurity in patients with NAFLD. Further research is needed to confirm these results.