Shelter and Nutrition Poverty of Children in Tehran in 2011

This study measures the children's poverty rate in Tehran (people under the age of 18) and identifies the most effective factors on children poverty in 2011. By using a sample of 24000 children under age of 18 extracted from "Tehran's Justice Measurement Research Project", first, the children's poverty headcount was calculated in terms of shelter and nutrition. Then, the effects of variables such as education, employment, gender and age of household's head, the addicts and the disabled in household, and geographic location on child poverty were examined by estimating a logit model. The results showed that the highest rate of shelter poverty of children under 18 is observed among the children of south of Tehran (53%), district 19 (61%) and district 17 (58%), respectively. Malnutrition and food insecurity exist in all districts of Tehran. The highest food insecurity risk belongs to districts 17, 18 and 19 and the Southern Tehran. About 25.3 percent of the children in Tehran, 32.1 percent of children in the Southern Tehran and 37.6 percent of children in district 18 are exposed to risk of food insecurity. The presence of addicts and disabled in the household, educational deprivation of head of household and habitation in south of Tehran are factors affecting children poverty. In addition, female-headed households cause food insecurity.