This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine household food security status and sociodemographic factors influencing it and to examine whether food insecurity of household is a risk factor for underweight, stunting, and thinness in primary school children of Sistan and Baluchestan Province in southeastern Iran. A sample of 610 students aged 7–11 years was selected by a multistage cluster random sampling method during December 2013–May 2014. Using U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Security questionnaire, 42.3% of households showed some degree of food insecurity. Food insecurity was positively associated with household size (p = .002) and number of children per household (p = .001) and negatively associated with mother’s and father’s education level (p = .005 and p = .042, respectively), father’s occupation status, and household income (p < .0001). Children living in food insecure with severe hunger households were 10.13, 10.07, and 4.54 times as likely to be underweight, stunted, and thin, respectively, as counterparts from food secure households. The findings showed food insecurity was prevalent and associated with sociodemographic factors among households with schoolchildren in southeastern Iran. Nutritional status of children was also associated with food security status of their households.

Background: This study was designed to evaluate the association between dietary total antioxidant capacity and clinical and biochemical variables in patients with osteoarthritis. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 160 patients with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis. The Likert version of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC Index) was used to assess the severity of clinical symptoms in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The secondary outcomes included inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers. The participants' usual diets were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and the dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was calculated based on the ferric reducing antioxidant power method. Additionally, clinical and biochemical variables were evaluated using standard methods. Results: The mean age of the participants was 57.2 ± 8.1 years, and 55.6% of them were females. The dietary TAC scores in this study ranged from 3.67 to 24.72, with a mean of 12.05 ± 5.3. We found a significant inverse trend between the dietary TAC score and the total Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) score (P = 0.001), as well as the WOMAC stiffness (P = 0.008) and WOMAC physical function scores (P = 0.001). Furthermore, dietary TAC was inversely associated with serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) (β = − 0.18, P = 0.020), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (β = − 0.67, P < 0.001), matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) (β = − 0.33, P < 0.001), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) (β = − 0.22, P = 0.005) levels. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate an inverse association between dietary total antioxidant capacity and clinical and biochemical variables in patients with osteoarthritis.

Previous studies have been reported that vitamin D deficiency increased the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Nonetheless, the exact mechanisms underlying this association is unclear. Besides, inflammation and deregulation of adipokines secretion have been recognized as pivotal factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of these conditions. Therefore, we assessed whether serum vitamin D status is associated with serum levels of adipokines and inflammatory markers in these patients. This case-control study was carried out among 65 patients with MetS who had vitamin D insufficiency (cases) and 130 MetS patients who had vitamin D sufficiency (controls). Cases and controls were recruited from among those referred to health centers in Zabol County, Iran. Vitamin D insufficiency was regarded as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration below 30 ng/ml. Serum concentrations of leptin, adiponectin, visfatin, and resistin and also adiponectin/leptin ratio along with serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), were evaluated. Serum levels of leptin, resistin, and TNF-α were significantly higher, whereas, serum adiponectin and adiponectin/leptin ratio were significantly lower in cases than the controls. There was no significant difference in serum visfatin, IL-6, and IL-10 between the groups. Serum levels of 25(OH)D were inversely correlated with leptin, resistin, and TNF-α in both unadjusted models and after adjustment for potential confounders. Our findings indicated that vitamin D insufficiency in MetS patients is associated with increased inflammation and serum adipokine abnormalities which may be associated with developing metabolic complications in these patients.