Introduction: This systematic review aimed to evaluate community-based participatory (CBP) interventions to improve food security and/or its dimensions to highlight the scope and characteristics of interventions and extract the characteristics of effective interventions.Methods: The electronic databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, were searched from 1980 to 30 August 2022 for relevant studies. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cluster randomized controlled trials (cRCTs), controlled before and after studies (CBAs), non-randomized controlled trials (nRCT), and interrupted time series (ITS) studies to identify the community-based participatory interventions. The indicators of food and nutrition security into four dimensions, as well as food insecurity measured as score and/or prevalence of food insecurity based on validated perception-based measures were considered outcome. Two reviewers independently evaluated the studies for eligibility, extracted data, and evaluated the risk of bias in the included studies using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP). The quality of included reports was categorized as strong (when there were no weak ratings), moderate (when one factor was rated as weak), or weak (when two or more factors were rated as weak). A descriptive analysis of the findings was performed.Results: A total of twelve studies were included. The quality of all eligible studies (n = 12) was rated as moderate/weak. Most CBP interventions were guided by formative research (n = 9, 75%). Two main groups for utilized strategies were identified: agricultural and nutrition strategies. Agricultural strategies included agricultural education, preparing and improving soil and seeds, promoting and supporting gardening/harvesting utilizing traditional skills based on the local culture, and agroecological practices. Nutrition strategies included store and shopping programs, farmers’ markets, fresh fruit and vegetable programs, nutrition education programs for mothers, and food vouchers. The main outcomes improved in the CBP interventions were food security (n = 2) and its dimensions, including availability (n = 3), access (n = 5), and utilization (n = 2). All agroecological practices achieved statistically significant outcomes in the intended food security target(s). However, nutritional interventions were not effective for some access components such as mean adequacy ratio, fruit and vegetable intake, and nutrition environment of the stores. No studies evaluated stability outcome components of food security.Discussion: CBP interventions guided by formative research data and agroecological practices were promising strategies to improve food security and its dimensions. Insufficient data on the stability components of food security and weak design studies were the considerable gaps in the research evidence reviewed. More research employing randomized experimental designs with adequate sample size and high retention rates is required.Systematic review registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/], identifier [CRD42020189477].

Background/Aim: The high prevalence of non-communicable diseases and their risk factors among the general urban population of Tehran necessitates an urgent implementation of nutritional interventional programs to curtail these risk factors. This study aimed to provide preliminary data on the knowledge, attitude and practices of urban Tehranian adults regarding nutrition and their relation to major non-communicable disease risk factors and to assess the need for educational interventions. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed within the framework of the second phase of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS). Subjects were 826 individuals, 369 men and 457 women, aged 20–70 years old, selected randomly from among 15,005 participants in the TLGS. Knowledge, attitude and practices of subjects were assessed by a ‘knowledge, attitude and practice’ questionnaire; height, weight, waist and hip circumferences were measured, and BMI and waist to hip ratio were calculated. Biochemical data including fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol were measured, based on standard protocols, and LDL-cholesterol was calculated. Associations between nutritional knowledge, attitude, practice, sex, age and educational level, and between knowledge, attitude and practice and BMI, waist to hip ratio and levels of lipid and lipoproteins, were determined. Results: For knowledge 26.5, 52.7 and 20.8%, for attitude, 27.6, 48.9 and 23.5% and for practice, 27.4, 51.7 and 20.9% of individuals had desirable, moderate and weak knowledge scores, respectively. With increases in educational levels, knowledge scores increased (p < 0.001). Attitudes of illiterate and poorly literate groups were weaker than those of other groups (p < 0.001). However, illiterate and poorly literate groups had higher practice scores as compared to middle school and high school graduates (p < 0.001). Mean practice scores of university graduates were higher than high school graduates (p < 0.05). Those aged 30–50 years had higher knowledge scores than older individuals (p < 0.001). LDL- and total cholesterol were correlated to practice scores (p < 0.001, r = 0.23). Subjects with borderline triglyceride levels had better practice scores than normal individuals (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The findings revealed that age, educational level and gender are factors that can influence knowledge, attitude and practices, regarding nutrition. It is vital to develop approaches and implement programs to improve the nutritional practices of the population.

This study aimed to analyze the fat, fatty acid profile, and salt content of restaurant foods (RFs) and find out strategies to lower them using the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). Five types of common foods (n = 70) were collected from restaurants in Tehran, Iran. The fat, fatty acid profile, and salt content of samples were analyzed by acid hydrolysis method, gas chromatography, and Charpentier Volhard methods, respectively. The quantitative data were analyzed by the SPSS using ANOVA and Spearman’s correlation test. Then, a SWOT analysis was done. The laboratory results indicated that the highest amount of total fat was in Samosa (16.92% ± 6.27%), whereas saturated fatty acids (SFA) and trans fatty acids (TFA) were significantly higher in Koobideh kebab with rice (44.42% ± 5.07% and 2.86% ± 0.64%, respectively) as compared to other samples. In addition, the highest amount of salt was in the Falafel sandwich (2.87% ± 0.98%). The salt content in the majority of analyzed foods was about two times more than the daily recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). The SWOT analysis results showed the lack of standardization of recipes to measure accurate fat and salt content was the main weakness and food labeling in the menus was detected as an important opportunity. TFA and salt in RFs were alarmingly high and it is necessary to find strategies for reformulation of RFs to reduce their fat and salt content. Policymakers can use the SWOT analysis results of this study to offer directions for potential future strengthening actions of healthy foods in restaurants for public health.

Using a systematic review of all available studies between 1991 and 2011, the prevalence of food insecurity in the Islamic Republic of Iran was estimated. After document evaluation and data aggregation, studies were analysed in separate categories based on the methods used: dietary recall, household income/expenditure or experiential/perception-based surveys. Meta-analysis of dietary-recall studies showed small non-significant increases between 1994 and 2004 in the prevalence of mild (from 8.8% to 9.3%) and moderate food insecurity (from 5.4% to 5.6%). Severe food insecurity was 3.8% and 3.7% in 1994 and 2004 respectively. Prevalence of food insecurity (moderate to severe) based on household income/expenditure surveys was consistently reported to be 10%. A separate meta-analysis of experiential/perception-based studies revealed rates of mild, moderate and severe food insecurity of 28.6%, 14.9% and 6.0% respectively. By combining study results in this manner makes it possible to come up with more realistic estimates for evidence-informed policy-making, until development of a national food insecurity surveillance system.