Negar Zamaninour
1 
, Moein Yoosefi
2,3, Mojdeh Soleimanzadehkhayat
4,2, Forough Pazhuheian
2, Sahar Saeedi Moghaddam
2, Shirin Djalalinia
5,2, Nazila Shahbal
2, Rosa Haghshenas
2,6, Mona Marzban
7,2, Arezou Dilmaghani-Marand
2, Ameneh Kazemi
6,2, Nasim Hadian
2, Hossein Zokaei
2, Abbas Pariani
8, Mohammad Javad Hajipour
9,2, Shirin Hasani-Ranjbar
10, Farshad Farzadfar
2,6* 1 Minimally Invasive Surgery Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4 School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
5 Deputy of Research and Technology, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
6 Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
7 Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
8 Deputy of Health, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
9 Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
10 Obesity and Eating Habits Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are one of the greatest threats to public health, and have been related to poor quality dietary patterns. This study was conducted to determine the distribution of dietary risk factors in Iran.
Methods: Cross-sectional data was gathered between April and November 2016 from 30,541 eligible adults (out of 31 050 individuals who were selected through systematic proportional to size cluster random sampling) living in urban and rural areas, using the WHO-based STEPs risk factor questionnaire. Low intakes of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and fish, and high intakes of salty processed food (SPF), as well as daily intake of hydrogenated fat (HF) were considered as nutritional risk factors.
Results: At the national level, 82.8% (95% CI: 82.4-83.2), 57.8% (95% CI: 57.2-58.4), 80.6% (95% CI: 80.1-81) and 90.3% (95% CI: 90-90.6) of participants of all age groups had sub-optimal intakes of fruits, vegetables, dairy products and fish, respectively. Furthermore, 12.8% (95% CI: 12.4-13.1), and 29.4% (95% CI: 28.9-29.9) of respondents had high SPF intakes and HF use, respectively. At the sub-national level, the highest distribution of suboptimal intake of fruits (97.2%; 95% CI:96-98.3), vegetables (79.2%; 95% CI: 76.3-82.1) and dairy products (92.9%; 95% CI: 91-94.7) was observed in Sistan and Baluchistan. Except for Boushehr and Hormozgan, the majority of the population of other provinces consumed fish less than twice a week. Similarly, the high intake of SPF was found mostly in the population of Yazd (23.7; 95% CI: 20.2-27.2). HF consumption was the highest in North Khorasan (64.2%; 95% CI: 60.3-68.1).
Conclusion: These findings highlight the widespread distribution of dietary risk factors in Iran, which should be a priority for the people and the politicians in order to prevent NCDs.